[Geology2] Mt. Whitney not so tall?

Height of lower 48 states' tallest peak still up in the air

BY JOHN COX Californian staff writer jcox@bakersfield.com

It won't make hiking to the top any easier, but Mount Whitney may be 5 feet shorter than most people thought.

The highest peak in the contiguous United States may be an even 14,500 ft., according to numbers attributed to the U.S. Geological Survey, based on new estimates of Earth's average sea level.

That would be down from a recently determined 14,505 ft. level.

Whitney's supposed new height was widely disseminated late Tuesday by the Sequoia and Kings Canyon national parks -- and then retracted, sort of.

Mount Whitney, named after a former state geologist, is one of the West Coast's most important geological landmarks and it is a popular destination for hikers and sightseers.

In the mid-19th century, state geologists lugged barometers made of mercury and glass tubes up mountain trails to take air pressure readings.

Then in the early part of the last century, surveyors relied on a network of known elevations to triangulate the altitude of various peaks. More recently, geologists have turned to the satellite-based Global Positioning System.

Geologists have said the new estimate's impact is probably minimal, given that the surrounding area's elevation likely hasn't changed relative to Mount Whitney. But it could force recalibration of official maps, which would affect land surveying work.

If it turns out to be 14,500 ft., that would be at least 60 feet higher than the No. 2 peak, Colorado's Mount Elbert, but well below the nation's high point, 20,320-foot Mount McKinley in Alaska.

Dana Dierkes, public affairs specialist for the two parks, announced the 14,500 ft. figure late Tuesday.

Twenty-four hours later she backed off, saying the latest measurement is still up in the air, so to speak. She said she had publicized what turned out to be an unofficial new height for the summit at the boundary of Tulare and Inyo counties.

"We're in the process of updating our information," Dierkes said. "We're going to go back to 14,494 feet ... But ongoing study and analysis is pending.

"We're so sorry for the confusion."

Full story from The Bakersfield Californian

http://www.bakersfieldcalifornian.com/local/x411129008/How-high-is-Mount-Whitney-Depends-on-when-you-ask

 

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