<p><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chimborazo" rel="noreferrer">Mount Chimborazo</a>, which is 6,268 meters above sea level and within 1.5 degrees of the equator.  </p>

<p>More specifically, <a href="http://geodesy.geology.ohio-state.edu/course/refpapers/Earth99.pdf" rel="noreferrer">according to Dr. Milbert, Chief Geodesist, NOAA, National Geodetic Survey and Dr. Shum, Geodetic Science &amp; Surveying, Ohio State Univ.</a>:</p>

<p>distance from Earth's center of mass, with an uncertainty of only +/- 2 meters:</p>

<p>Mt. Chimborazo - 6384.459 kilometers </p>

<p>Mt. Huascaran  - 6384.372 kilometers </p>

<p>Mt. Cotopaxi  - 6384.062 kilometers </p>

<p>Mt. Kilimanjaro - 6383.955 kilometers</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-11-12T15:00:26.690Z
What would be the total distance from the center of the Earth then?
arkaia
CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-01-11T15:04:14.630Z
@aretxabaleta I added that to the answer now.
DavePhD
CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-04-08T18:20:01.573Z
This has been confirmed recently, after the 3rd Geodesic French-Ecuadorian Geodesic Missioin, determining 6 384 415.98 meters. [Source](http://www.eltelegrafo.com.ec/noticias/regional-centro/1/ratifican-en-ecuador-el-punto-mas-alejado-al-centro-de-la-tierra). Looking after the paper...
carnendil
CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-02-18T19:17:00.550Z
Quick, somebody dump a 1m high pile of dirt on top of Kilimanjaro!! (let me know when you do so I can provide the *new* right answer :p)
theforestecologist
CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-10-31T19:25:39.947Z
@carnendil If what you are saying is right, then it is not confirmed, by rebuffed. Answer said uncertainty was +/- 2 meters - which is inconsistent with info in your comment
inemanja
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-11-12T12:57:02.297Z
2016-01-11T14:20:39.877Z
2016-01-11T14:20:39.877Z
DavePhD
<p>It's <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chimborazo" rel="noreferrer">Chimborazo, Ecuador</a>, but only just, beating <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Huascar%C3%A1n" rel="noreferrer">Huascarán, Peru</a>, by less than 50 metres. Both are over 2 km 'higher' than Everest.</p>

<p>I made a plot of some mountains — height above centre of the earth vs absolute latitude. You can download the <a href="https://gist.github.com/kwinkunks/a449bff4c8c35952e6ce" rel="noreferrer">IPython Notebook source code here</a>. Warning: v. hacky.</p>

<p><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/3VwGa.png" alt="the heights of some mountains, relative to the centre of the earth."></p>

<p>I can't find anything on the position of the centre of the earth. The formula I used for the latitude-dependent radius requires major (equatorial) and minor (polar) radii, but I don't have citations for them either. Argus in his article <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-246X.2007.03344.x" rel="noreferrer">Defining the translational velocity of the reference frame of Earth</a> gave some numbers for its temporal variance, but I have no idea how this might affect these mountain heights. </p>

<p>Last thing: Apparently, the floor of the Arctic Ocean is the closest point on the surface to the Earth's center (about 6353 km, 30 km 'below' Chimborazo), if you call the bottom of the sea the 'surface'. </p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2023-11-30T16:47:17.683Z
A great addition would be to show the geoid as well.
mins
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-11-13T16:06:42.480Z
Great answer! THanks for going to the effort of calculating and plotting this.
Semidiurnal Simon
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-11-12T16:00:12.920Z
2016-12-07T07:29:48.620Z
2016-12-07T07:29:48.620Z
Matt Hall
<p>At first glance, this seems like such a simple question of "What's the highest point on Earth".  However, I also know that the Earth isn't perfectly round.  So that "highest point" may be in a relative valley.</p>

<p>Also, because it's non-spherical, the "center" may not be easily obvious either.  So, I'm curious if there are different answers based on different definitions of "center" (such as geographic center versus center of mass).</p>

<p>So, what is the point on the Earth's surface farthest from the center of the Earth?  Is this different based on different definitions of "center"?</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-11-12T12:49:21.477Z
And just to be clear, I'm looking for the point on Earth farthest from the center, not including man-made objects.
Richard
CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-12-12T01:11:49.367Z
I'd define the centre using the Geoid and work from there. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geoid
norman_h
CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-04-06T13:08:35.647Z
I already answered this question (below), but [this awesome map](http://www.geogeoglobal.com/blog/2015/where-are-you-furthest-from-the-centre-of-the-earth) may be the most comprehensive response possible.
Matt Hall
<geology><geophysics><mountains><topography>
Farthest point from the center of the Earth
Richard
# Farthest point from the center of the Earth

(Asked by: username_0 on 2014-11-12)

At first glance, this seems like such a simple question of "What's the highest point on Earth". However, I also know that the Earth isn't perfectly round. So that "highest point" may be in a relative valley.

Also, because it's non-spherical, the "center" may not be easily obvious either. So, I'm curious if there are different answers based on different definitions of "center" (such as geographic center versus center of mass).

So, what is the point on the Earth's surface farthest from the center of the Earth? Is this different based on different definitions of "center"?

**Tags:** geology, geophysics, mountains, topography

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: And just to be clear, I'm looking for the point on Earth farthest from the center, not including man-made objects.  
> **username_1**: I'd define the centre using the Geoid and work from there. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geoid  
> **username_2**: I already answered this question (below), but [this awesome map](http://www.geogeoglobal.com/blog/2015/where-are-you-furthest-from-the-centre-of-the-earth) may be the most comprehensive response possible.  

---

## 2 answers

### Answer by username_2 on 2014-11-12. Score: 57 | Accepted answer

It's [Chimborazo, Ecuador](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chimborazo), but only just, beating [Huascarán, Peru](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Huascar%C3%A1n), by less than 50 metres. Both are over 2 km 'higher' than Everest.

I made a plot of some mountains — height above centre of the earth vs absolute latitude. You can download the [IPython Notebook source code here](https://gist.github.com/kwinkunks/a449bff4c8c35952e6ce). Warning: v. hacky.

![the heights of some mountains, relative to the centre of the earth.](https://i.sstatic.net/3VwGa.png)

I can't find anything on the position of the centre of the earth. The formula I used for the latitude-dependent radius requires major (equatorial) and minor (polar) radii, but I don't have citations for them either. Argus in his article [Defining the translational velocity of the reference frame of Earth](http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-246X.2007.03344.x) gave some numbers for its temporal variance, but I have no idea how this might affect these mountain heights.

Last thing: Apparently, the floor of the Arctic Ocean is the closest point on the surface to the Earth's center (about 6353 km, 30 km 'below' Chimborazo), if you call the bottom of the sea the 'surface'.

> **Comments:**
> **username_9**: Great answer! THanks for going to the effort of calculating and plotting this.  
> **username_8**: A great addition would be to show the geoid as well.  

---

### Answer by username_3 on 2014-11-12. Score: 23

[Mount Chimborazo](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chimborazo), which is 6,268 meters above sea level and within 1.5 degrees of the equator.

More specifically, [according to Dr. Milbert, Chief Geodesist, NOAA, National Geodetic Survey and Dr. Shum, Geodetic Science & Surveying, Ohio State Univ.](http://geodesy.geology.ohio-state.edu/course/refpapers/Earth99.pdf):

distance from Earth's center of mass, with an uncertainty of only +/- 2 meters:

Mt. Chimborazo - 6384.459 kilometers

Mt. Huascaran - 6384.372 kilometers

Mt. Cotopaxi - 6384.062 kilometers

Mt. Kilimanjaro - 6383.955 kilometers

> **Comments:**
> **username_4**: What would be the total distance from the center of the Earth then?  
> **username_3**: @aretxabaleta I added that to the answer now.  
> **username_5**: This has been confirmed recently, after the 3rd Geodesic French-Ecuadorian Geodesic Missioin, determining 6 384 415.98 meters. [Source](http://www.eltelegrafo.com.ec/noticias/regional-centro/1/ratifican-en-ecuador-el-punto-mas-alejado-al-centro-de-la-tierra). Looking after the paper...  
> **username_6**: Quick, somebody dump a 1m high pile of dirt on top of Kilimanjaro!! (let me know when you do so I can provide the *new* right answer :p)  
> **username_7**: @username_5 If what you are saying is right, then it is not confirmed, by rebuffed. Answer said uncertainty was +/- 2 meters - which is inconsistent with info in your comment  

---

