Abstract
Mountain peaks and their altitude have been of interest to researchers across disciplines. Measurement methods and techniques have changed and developed over the years, leading to more accurate measurements and, consequently, more accurate determination of peak altitudes. This research transpired due to the frequency of misstatements found in existing sources including books, maps, guidebooks and the Internet. Such inaccuracies have the potential to create controversy, especially among peak-baggers in pursuit of climbing the highest summits. The Polish Sudetes Mountains were selected for this study; 24 summits in the 14 mesoregions were measured. Measurements were obtained employing the global navigation satellite system (GNSS) and light detection and ranging (LiDAR), both modern and highly precise techniques. Moreover, to determine the accuracy of measurements, several of the summits were measured using a mobile phone as an additional method. We compare GNSS vs. LiDAR and verify the level of confidence of peak heights obtained by automatic methods from LiDAR data alone. The GNSS receiver results showed a discrepancy of approximately 10 m compared with other information sources examined. Findings indicate that the heights of peaks presented in cartographic materials are inaccurate, especially in lesser-known mountain ranges. Furthermore, among all the mountain ranges examined, the results demonstrated that five of the summits were no longer classed as the highest, potentially impacting tourist perceptions and subsequent visitation. Overall, due to the topographical relief characteristics and varying vegetation cover of mountains, we argue that the re-measuring procedure should comprise two steps: (1) develop high-resolution digital elevation models (DEMs) based on LiDAR; (2) assumed heights should be measured using precise GNSS receivers. Unfortunately, due to the time constraints and the prohibitive costs of GNSS, LiDAR continues to be the most common source of new altitude data.
Highlights
The issue of erroneous data regarding the height of mountain summits has grown in prominence
For one peak (Mount Okole), the value in parentheses was obtained from an article about the Kaczawskie Mountains and this value was used in the study
Heights are provided with one metre accuracy, there are situations in which heights are provided with decimetre or centimetre accuracy
Summary
The issue of erroneous data regarding the height of mountain summits has grown in prominence. It is important for geographers and geodesists to know which summit is the highest [1]. Here, we provide an analysis of the highest summits of an entire mountain range, and in doing so, highlight the advantages and disadvantages of various approaches to re-measuring altitudes were elucidated. At times, crucial, basic information such as the altitudes above sea level can be incorrect [2] Ongoing research in this regard focuses on cataloguing cartographic misrepresentations of the so-called highest summits across the globe [1,2,33]. Featherstone et al [35] analysed a method of orthometric height determination (a gravimetric geoid model, geometric interpolation and a combination of these two methods)
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