10 Things You Might Don’t Know About Our Planet
Mount Everest is NOT the tallest mountain in the World
Hawaiian Mauna Kea has an altitude of 4,205 m above sea level. However, the biggest part of the volcano rests below sea level.
So if measured from the base to the summit, Mauna Kea is 10,203 m high, which is 1,355 m taller than Mount Everest.
Earth’s atmosphere has borders
The Karman line is an internationally accepted line that lies at an altitude of 100 km above sea level.
Although the level of Earth’s atmosphere ends much higher, this very line was recognized by The World Air Sports Federation as the boundary between the atmosphere and outer space.
The driest place on Earth is located in Antarctica
It’s commonly believed that the driest place on Earth is the Atacama Desert in Chile that hasn’t had rainfall for thousands of years.
But the McMurdo Dry Valleys in Antarctica have seen no rain for nearly 2 million years. The winds here can reach speeds of 320 km/h.
Freshwater represents only 3% of all water on Earth
The oceans and seas hold 97% of Earth’s water, but it’s salty ocean water, not suitable for drinking.
The remaining 3% of total freshwater is held in glaciers (70%) and in Lake Baikal (20%).
