It is very unlikely that all given heights are correct to the nearest metre; indeed, the sea level

is often
problematic to define when a mountain is remote from the sea. Different sources often differ by
many metres, and the heights given below may well differ from those elsewhere in this encyclopedia.
As an extreme example, Ulugh Muztagh on the north Tibetan Plateau is often listed as 7,723 m
(25,338 ft) to 7,754 m (25,440 ft), but appears to be only 6,973 m (22,877 ft) to 6,987 m (22,923 ft).
Some mountains differ by > 100 m (330 ft) on different maps, while even very thorough current
measurements of Mount Everest range from 8,840 m (29,003 ft) to 8,850 m (29,035 ft). These
discrepancies serve to emphasize the uncertainties in the listed heights.
Though some parts of the world, especially the most mountainous parts, have never been
thoroughly mapped, it is unlikely that any mountains this high have been overlooked,
because synthetic aperture radar can and has been used to measure elevations of most otherwise
inaccessible places. Still, heights or prominences may be revised, so that the order of the list may
change and even "new" mountains could enter the list over time. To be safe, the list has been
extended to include all 7,200 m (23,622 ft) peaks.
The highest mountains above sea level are generally not the highest above the surrounding terrain.
There is no precise definition of surrounding base, but Denali, Mount Kilimanjaro and Nanga
Parbat are possible candidates for the tallest mountain on land by this measure. The bases of
mountain islands are below sea level, and given this consideration Mauna Kea (4,207 m (13,802 ft)
above sea level) is the world's tallest mountain and volcano, rising about 10,203 m (33,474 ft) from
the Pacific Ocean floor. Ojos del Salado has the greatest rise on Earth: 13,420 m (44,029 ft)
vertically to the summit[citation needed] from the bottom of the Atacama Trench, which is about 560 km
(350 mi) away, although most of this rise is not part of the mountain.
The highest mountains are also not generally the most voluminous. Mauna Loa (4,169 m or
13,678 ft) is the largest mountain on Earth in terms of base area (about 2,000 sq mi or 5,200 km2)
and volume (about 10,000 cu mi or 42,000 km3), although, due to the intergrade
of lava from Kilauea, Hualalai and Mauna Kea, the volume can only be estimated based on surface
area and height of the edifice. Mount Kilimanjaro is the largest non-shield volcano in terms of both
base area (245 sq mi or 635 km2) and volume (1,150 cu mi or 4,793 km3). Mount Logan is the largest
non-volcanic mountain in base area (120 sq mi or 311 km2).