What is the highest point on Earth as measured from Earth's center?

Re:What is the highest point on Earth as measured from Earth... by simcop2387 on Thursday November 15, 2018 @04:50PM (#18463767)

Which center? The centroid of the spheroid that is the earth (i.e. the point that's as close to equidistant from all points as possible)? The center of mass? The gravitational center (I think this would be the same as the center of mass, but i'm not positive)?

I'd be curious how the different centers change the results.

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Re:What is the highest point on Earth as measured from Earth... by spurgu on Thursday November 15, 2018 @05:27PM (#18464066)

I would assume all of these (add center of volume) to be quite close to each other for all practical intents and purposes, given how smooth Earth's surface is in the big picture:

https://what-if.xkcd.com/46/

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Re:What is the highest point on Earth as measured from Earth... by Svexav on Thursday November 15, 2018 @07:26PM (#18464958)

You would be wrong.

Make the problem simpler by thinking in 2 dimensions. Where's the center of the United States? There are an infinite number of different answers. Think about how many different map projections there are.

Now where is the center of the Earth? The point furthest from sea level? The point furthest from the surface? Do you include mountains, ocean basins, ocean trenches, etc.? What % of a substance has to be water before it doesn't count as part of the earth? The point furthest from the edge of the atmosphere? How do you determine where that is? Or is the center of mass? These are all going to give you wildly different answers.

Humanities questions cannot be easily solved scientifically.

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Re:What is the highest point on Earth as measured from Earth... by dikei on Thursday November 15, 2018 @08:33PM (#18465435)

The variation cause by mountain or sea trench is absolutely tiny compared to the earth diameter, as explained by his xkcd's link.

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