Mountains call parts of the land which considerably is given over a surrounding surface – at least for five hundred meters over the adjacent territory. Various conditions of formation of earth crust led to the fact that in different parts of the world of the mountain differ on height. The highest mountains on Earth exceed a mark of eight thousand meters.
Mountains are not only on Earth, but also on other planets and also on the Moon and satellites. So, the highest mountain of the Solar system – the Olympus on Mars which has height of 21200 meters.
For Earth such height of the mountain, according to scientists, is impossible as resistance of breeds will not sustain pressure of mountain masses.
The highest mountains on absolute height
Terrestrial mountains arise not only on the land, but also under water – the most powerful mountains are in the ocean. It is possible to calculate height of tops differently: concerning sea level or from the bottom to top. If to use the second way, then the highest mountain on Earth can be considered the volcano of Mauna Kea located on the island of Hawaii. This the flat, covered with a small snow cap mountain towers over the ocean on only 4205 meters, that is does not join even in one hundred the highest elevated mountains. But if to consider its height as distance from an ocean floor to top, then it will make more than ten thousand meters as the most part of a volcano disappears under water – thus, the peak of Mauna Kea on absolute height is higher, than Everest.
Traditional list of the highest tops
But usually when determining the highest mountains of Earth relative height – that is height above sea level is used. Therefore the palm undividedly belongs to Mount Chomolungma known among Europeans as Everest. It is in the Himalayas on Ridge Makhalangur-Khimal and has two tops: one towers on 8760 meters, and another on 8848 meters – both peaks is higher, than any other mountain of the world.
The mountain is higher, the it is younger as old mountains collapse quicker, than grow.
The second highest mountain carries the name K2 or Godwin Austen, it does not belong to the mountain Himalayas system, and belongs to Karakorum. Its height – 8614 meters above sea level. Godwin Austen can brag of other record is the most northern mountain of the world having height more than eight thousand meters. The following eight peaks in the list of the highest tops of the world are in the Himalayas - it is Kanchenjunga, Lkhodze, Makalu, Cho-Oyyu, Dhaulugiri, Nanga Parbat, Annapurna I, all of them have height more than seven thousand meters. The following several dozen mountains are in Asia too, and outside this continent of the mountain do not exceed seven thousand meters. So, in the Southern and Northern America the highest top is Aconcagua 6959 meters high in the Andes, in Africa – Kilimanjaro ennobling on 5895 meters over the African savannas in Europe – the idle volcano Elbrus 5642 meters high in the Caucasus, in Antarctica – the massif 4892 meters high Vinson. The highest point of Oceania – Punchak-Dzhaya with height 4884 meters.