Experts have revealed that the mountain is officially one metre taller than previously thought.
According to a new Ordnance Survey (OS) calculation, it stands at 1,345m rather than 1,344m - the height recorded when the mountain was last measured in 1949.
Surveyors say the change is not down to geological movements. In other words, Ben Nevis has not grown.
Rather, it is the result of improvements in technology that allow for a more accurate reading.
Back in 1949, it took a team of seven surveyors 20 nights to measure the mountain.
The new measurement was calculated by positioning a survey grade GPS receiver at the summit of Ben Nevis for just two hours.
The exact height of the mountain was found to be 1,344.527m, meaning it can now be rounded up to 1,345m officially.
"What is amazing is how close the surveyors in 1949 were," said OS geodetic consultant Mark Greaves, who was the first person to discover the change.
"The measured height has changed by centimetres, but those centimetres mean we now need to round up rather than down. So that's why Ben Nevis will now be officially known as 1,345m."
Field surveyor Angus Hemmings added the process involved in making the new calculation had given him a "greater sense of respect" for the 1949 surveyors.
"Each day they hauled 200lbs of equipment up Ben Nevis and its surrounding mountains," he said.
"They also had to wait till night, because strong lights were shone from the trig pillars of the other mountains on to Ben Nevis, which enabled them to collect their data.
"It took the surveyors 20 nights because they only had three clear nights in that period to get it right.
"To do the best possible job it had to be run with military precision, everything they did had to be timed to perfection. Their effort and accuracy is remarkable."
No comments:
Post a Comment