Distance from the Center of the Earth
It is well known that the highest mountain on earth is Mt. Everest at 29,017* feet. However it actually depends on how you measure the height. If you say that "highest" means the greatest distance above sea level then of course Mt. Everest reins supreme but there are actually two other ways to measure the height.
A second way to measure a mountain height is by the distance between the base and the top of a mountain, in this case Hawaii's Mauna Kea would be king of the world as it is 33,477 feet high (Only 13,796 ft is above sea level, the rest is below the Pacific Ocean) and Giant with a 4,050 feet rise from it's base in New Russia would be #1 in the Adirondacks.
The third way to measure the height is by measuring the distance from the center of the earth. This way because the earth bulges at the equator the point furthest from the center of the earth is the summit of Chimborazo volcano in the Andes of Ecuador. Its elevation from sea level is 20,703 feet but because it is near the equator its distance from the center of the earth is 20,946,295 feet which is 7,145 feet higher than Everest (20,939,150 feet) which sits at 27.980799° north latitude.
Measuring the mountains in the Adirondacks this way Mt. Marcy is a whopping 20,896,900 feet and is still the highest in the Adirondacks. Algonquin is still #2 at 20,896,633 feet.
However because of its higher latitude Marcy would lose its title as the highest in NY State to Slide Mt. in the Catskills which by this way of measuring is 1418 feet higher at 20,898,318 feet. In fact by this way of measuring Mt. Marcy just beats out Highpoint in NJ by 134 feet, which is just 1803 feet above sea level but with this way of measuring it is 20,896,766 feet (It beats Algonquin by 133 feet). But on the flip side, by this way of measuring Marcy is 7,618 feet higher than the highest point above sea level in North America Mount McKinley which would only be at 20,889,282 feet.
So because of the equatorial bulge, latitude is a significant factor on how far a mountain is from the center of the earth. For example Snowy Mt. in Indian Lake and Moose Mt. in Lake Placid are the same height above sea level 3,898 but because Snowy is at a lower latitude it is 796 feet further from the center of earth than Moose (20,895,958 vs 20,895,162 respectively).
If this was the standard way of measuring mountain heights the ADK 46 and 100 highest would look very different.
Rank | Name | Distance from Center of Earth +20,890,000' | Sea Level Height** | Sea Level Rank** |
1 | Marcy | 6900 | 5344 | 1 |
2 | Algonquin | 6633 | 5115 | 2 |
3 | Haystack | 6525 | 4961 | 3 |
4 | Skylight | 6496 | 4924 | 4 |
5 | Dix | 6416 | 4823 | 9 |
6 | Gray | 6383 | 4826 | 7 |
7 | Iroquois | 6375 | 4849 | 6 |
8 | Basin | 6371 | 4826 | 7 |
9 | Gothics | 6271 | 4734 | 10 |
10 | Colden | 6254 | 4715 | 11 |
11 | Santononi | 6199 | 4606 | 13 |
12 | Redfield | 6184 | 4606 | 13 |
13 | Nippletop | 6167 | 4593 | 15 |
14 | Whiteface | 6131 | 4885 | 5 |
15 | Giant | 6122 | 4626 | 12 |
16 | Wright | 6074 | 4587 | 16 |
17 | Saddleback | 6067 | 4528 | 17 |
18 | Blue Ridge (Indian Lake) | 6028 | 3881 | 50 |
19 | Macomb | 6020 | 4390 | 22 |
20 | Hough | 6017 | 4409 | 21 |
21 | Panther (High Peak) | 6015 | 4442 | 18 |
22 | Snowy | 5958 | 3898 | 47 |
23 | Armstrong | 5958 | 4429 | 19 |
24 | Allen | 5954 | 4347 | 25 |
25 | Tabletop | 5935 | 4413 | 20 |
26 | Marshall | 5901 | 4363 | 24 |
27 | Rocky Peak | 5888 | 4383 | 23 |
28 | Panther - (Indian Lake) | 5878 | 3862 | 54 |
29 | Lewey | 5831 | 3727 | 68 |
30 | Seward | 5829 | 4331 | 26 |
31 | Buell | 5820 | 3779 | 63 |
32 | Pillsbury | 5808 | 3602 | 80 |
33 | Wakley | 5792 | 3766 | 66 |
34 | Little Moose | 5729 | 3632 | 75 |
35 | Upper Wolfjaw | 5725 | 4203 | 29 |
36 | South Dix | 5704 | 4068 | 37 |
37 | Big Slide | 5702 | 4232 | 28 |
38 | Sawteeth | 5689 | 4134 | 32 |
39 | Lower Wolfjaw | 5685 | 4173 | 30 |
40 | Colvin | 5662 | 4068 | 37 |
41 | Phelps | 5662 | 4160 | 31 |
42 | Gore | 5656 | 3563 | 84 |
43 | Hamilton | 5651 | 3238 | 123 |
44 | East Dix | 5620 | 4006 | 41 |
45 | Donaldson | 5613 | 4108 | 34 |
46 | Blue Mountain | 5610 | 3760 | 67 |
47 | Street | 5608 | 4134 | 32 |
48 | Seymour | 5591 | 4091 | 36 |
49 | Big Range | 5570 | 3366 | 109 |
50 | Dial | 5567 | 4003 | 42 |
51 | Blake's | 5564 | 3970 | 44 |
52 | Three ponds | 5561 | 3012 | 160 |
53 | Puffer | 5559 | 3451 | 95 |
54 | Emmons | 5557 | 4039 | 40 |
55 | North River | 5528 | 3878 | 52 |
56 | Swart | 5525 | 3094 | 149 |
57 | Cascade | 5524 | 4098 | 35 |
58 | Porter | 5518 | 4068 | 37 |
59 | Cliff | 5511 | 3944 | 46 |
60 | Mcnaughton | 5506 | 3983 | 43 |
61 | Bullhead | 5506 | 3432 | 100 |
62 | Hoffman | 5506 | 3704 | 71 |
63 | Cellar (Indian Lake) | 5501 | 3369 | 108 |
64 | Crane | 5491 | 3240 | 122 |
65 | Cellar (Wakley) | 5491 | 3445 | 97 |
66 | South Pond | 5486 | 3291 | 118 |
67 | Boreas | 5466 | 3776 | 64 |
68 | Esther | 5459 | 4239 | 27 |
69 | Spruce Lake Mt | 5459 | 3169 | 137 |
70 | Eleventh Mt | 5456 | 3291 | 118 |
71 | Blue Ridge (3 Ponds) | 5446 | 2867 | 220 |
72 | T-Lake Mt (T-Lake #2) | 5441 | 3071 | 150 |
73 | T-Lake #1 | 5436 | 3091 | 152 |
74 | Dug Mt | 5432 | 3228 | 126 |
75 | Green | 5430 | 3960 | 45 |
76 | Brown Pond | 5427 | 3419 | 102 |
77 | Pigeon | 5413 | 2780 | 251 |
78 | Blue Ridge(Blue Mt. Lake) | 5410 | 3465 | 92 |
79 | Dun Brook | 5408 | 3589 | 81 |
80 | Kitty #3 | 5405 | 3159 | 140 |
81 | Kitty Cobble (Kitty #1) | 5398 | 3251 | 121 |
82 | Lost Pond Peak | 5384 | 3891 | 49 |
83 | T-Lake #3 | 5393 | 2995 | 164 |
84 | Blue Ridge(Raquette Lake) | 5382 | 3428 | 101 |
85 | Couchsachraga | 5370 | 3793 | 62 |
86 | Wilmart | 5366 | 2976 | 173 |
87 | Avalanche | 5359 | 3832 | 57 |
88 | Twin Lakes (T-Lake #4) | 5358 | 2976 | 173 |
89 | T-Lakes #5 | 5343 | 2976 | 173 |
90 | T.R. | 5339 | 3822 | 59 |
91 | Nye | 5335 | 3871 | 53 |
92 | Kitty #2 | 5333 | 3163 | 139 |
93 | Moose (3 Ponds) | 5330 | 2805 | 238 |
94 | Cheney Cobble | 5323 | 3684 | 73 |
95 | Grass Mt | 5322 | 2989 | 168 |
96 | Fishing Brook #1 | 5321 | 3547 | 86 |
97 | Speculator | 5320 | 2966 | 178 |
98 | Raker (Sawtooth #1) | 5301 | 3839 | 56 |
99 | Macomber | 5297 | 3005 | 163 |
100 | T-Lakes #6 | 5295 | 2972 | 176 |
And here are some other Adirondack Mountains thrown in for fun
Name |
Distance from the center of the Earth |
Sea Level height |
|
Fishing Brook #2 | 5294 | 3468 |
|
Squaw | 5283 | 3255 |
|
Sunrise | 5282 | 3619 |
|
Henderson | 5281 | 3707 |
|
County Line Mt | 5278 | 3110 |
|
North Branch | 5278 | 2717 |
|
West Canada | 5268 | 2991 |
|
Wallace | 5268 | 2720 |
|
Payne | 5265 | 3232 |
|
Blue Ridge (Hoffman) | 5253 | 3468 |
|
Wallface | 5252 | 3727 |
|
Tomany | 5248 | 2677 |
|
Unnamed (E of Hornet Cobbles) | 5233 | 3451 |
|
Unnamed (S of Spoon Lake) | 5238 | 2923 |
|
Stacy Mt | 5237 | 2854 |
|
Cutter (Sawtooth #2) | 5230 | 3773 |
|
Vanderwhacker | 5227 | 3409 |
|
Tenant | 5222 | 2756 |
|
Kitty #7 | 5223 | 3012 |
|
Sherman | 5219 | 2638 |
|
West Canada #2 | 5218 | 2953 |
|
Kilburn | 5204 |
3881 |
|
Baldhead(Stony Creek) | 5200 | 2870 |
|
Pete Gay | 5199 | 3127 |
|
Burgess | 5189 | 3192 |
|
Hogback | 5187 | 2480 |
|
Sawtooth #3 | 5177 | 3694 |
|
Sentinel | 5177 | 3858 |
|
Calamity | 5174 | 3607 |
|
Fishing Brook #3 | 5171 | 3396 |
|
Fishing Brook #4 | 5165 | 3389 |
|
Moose (Lake Placid) | 5162 | 3898 |
|
Wolf Pond | 5149 | 3442 |
|
State Brook | 5143 | 2549 |
|
McKenzie | 5114 | 3832 |
|
Little Santononi | 5108 | 3504 |
|
Adams | 5107 | 3520 |
|
Noonmark | 5092 | 3556 |
|
Hurricane | 5084 | 3678 |
|
Ohmer | 5070 |
2566 |
|
Fishingbrook #5 | 5012 |
3238 |
|
Saddleback (Jay) | 4947 | 3615 |
|
Slide (Sentinels) | 4931 | 3576 |
|
Sawteeth #4 | 4922 | 3445 |
|
Unnamed (E of Seymour) | 4918 | 3415 |
|
Stewart | 4909 | 3615 |
|
Pitchoff | 4900 | 3497 |
|
Jay | 4889 | 3576 |
|
Sawteeth #5 | 4863 | 3415 |
|
Bailey Hill | 4854 |
3051 |
|
Black (Lake George) | 4815 |
2640 |
|
Ampersand | 4719 | 3313 |
|
Lyon | 4653 | 3820 |
|
Averill | 4648 | 3803 |
|
Knob Lock | 4641 | 3192 |
|
Slip (Jay Range) | 4633 |
3313 |
|
Morgan | 4639 |
3458 |
|
Wilmington | 4622 |
3458 |
The formula I used to calculate these heights
Distance from center of earth =
((1/sqrt(cos²(Lat)/a² + sin²(Lat)/b²)) * 5280) + M
Where as…
a = Earth's Equator radius in miles = 3,963.189
b = Earth's Polar radius in miles = 3,949.901
Lat= Latitude of peak in Degrees.degrees format***
5280= Convert miles into feet
M=Mountain Height in feet above sea level
* Current measurement as of 10/05 drops the height of Everest to 29,017 feet
down from 29,035 feet
** Heights and rankings based on 1978 metric maps
*** Note: In order to work in MS Excel, degrees must be converted to radians
Radians= Degrees * ¶/180
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