North America’s highest peak has measured 83ft shorter than its last official reading more than 60 years ago, suggests data released by US geographers.
Located in Alaska’s Denali National Park, Denali (also known as Mount McKinley) now stands at 20,237ft, 25m shorter than its prior measurement in 1952. According to the US Geological Survey, the reading may have differed due to climatic changes or as a result of increased accuracy in measurement technologies.
Taken in 2012 using Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar – a technique with the ability to digitally track small geographic forms – the controversial measurement was discovered by the US Geological Survey during an attempt to update the entirety of Alaska’s topographical maps, which have shown the peak’s height as 20,320ft since 1952.
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