Why is Mount Everest so tall? - Michele Koppes
View full lesson: http://ed.ted.com/lessons/why-is-mount-everest-so-tall-michele-koppes At 8850 meters above sea level, Qomolangma, also known as Mount ...
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Every spring, hundreds of adventure-seekers dream of climbing Qomolangma, also known as Mount Everest. At base camp, they hunker down for months waiting for the chance to scale the mountain's lofty, lethal peak. But why do people risk life and limb to climb Everest? Is it the challenge? The view? The chance to touch the sky? For many, the draw is Everest's status as the highest mountain on Earth. There's an important distinction to make here. Mauna Kea is actually the tallest from base to summit, but at 8850 meters above sea level, Everest has the highest altitude on the planet. To understand how this towering formation was born, we have to peer deep into our planet's crust, where continental plates collide. The Earth's surface is like an armadillo's armor. ...
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Every spring, hundreds of adventure-seekers dream of climbing Qomolangma, also known as Mount Everest. At base camp, they hunker down for months waiting for the chance to scale the mountain's lofty, lethal peak. But why do people risk life and limb to climb Everest? Is it the challenge? The view? The chance to touch the sky? For many, the draw is Everest's status as the highest mountain on Earth. There's an important distinction to make here. Mauna Kea is actually the tallest from base to summit, but at 8850 meters above sea level, Everest has the highest altitude on the planet. To understand how this towering formation was born, we have to peer deep into our planet's crust, where continental plates collide. The Earth's surface is like an armadillo's armor. ...
