This is actually correct, though perhaps counterintuitive if you're just looking at Elbert from the Arkansas River valley.
Prominence by definition favors range highpoints. Since Elbert is the highest point in all the Rocky Mountains, you have to follow divide lines through WY's Wind Rivers, UT's Uintahs, & NV's Great Basin ranges all the way to California to find Elbert's key saddle with Mount Whitney & the Sierra Nevada. Elbert, of course, has a saddle with the high peaks of Mexico, as well, but this saddle is lower than Elbert's saddle with Whitney, so that's the one that defines Elbert's prominence.
For more information, please refer to Bob's "Ultras" page (http://www.summitpost.org/view_object.php?object_id=174556), peaklist.org, and specifically to this map: http://peaklist.org/USPcells/P5000s/P5000cells.jpg
Ah, I see. I guess I like area of visbility as a definition of prominence, but this measure favors lone peaks in flat areas, like Mount Diablo in CA, which is not a great peak of the world by anyone's definition, but something like the 3rd most visible peak in the world.
Not sure how others do it. I once tried something where I traced straight rays from the earth's surface on a digital elevation model...like this. You can see that it's not rigorous, and doesn't account for geometric bugaboos like earth's curvature, varying ray density (on the earth) as a function of angle, etc. But it was a comical diversion and kept me daydreaming about the mountains in grad school. ;-)
I'm sure there are more, but I knew these off the top of my head (partially because I have many of the pages). Anyway, when I get some more time I can go through the list more.
mpbro - Apr 5, 2006 3:02 am - Hasn't voted
Elbert can't be right!The "saddle" posted for Elbert is in California! Certainly Elbert couldn't have more than 5000 feet of prominence(?).
Morgan
RyanS - Apr 5, 2006 3:56 am - Hasn't voted
Re: Elbert can't be right!This is actually correct, though perhaps counterintuitive if you're just looking at Elbert from the Arkansas River valley.
Prominence by definition favors range highpoints. Since Elbert is the highest point in all the Rocky Mountains, you have to follow divide lines through WY's Wind Rivers, UT's Uintahs, & NV's Great Basin ranges all the way to California to find Elbert's key saddle with Mount Whitney & the Sierra Nevada. Elbert, of course, has a saddle with the high peaks of Mexico, as well, but this saddle is lower than Elbert's saddle with Whitney, so that's the one that defines Elbert's prominence.
For more information, please refer to Bob's "Ultras" page (http://www.summitpost.org/view_object.php?object_id=174556), peaklist.org, and specifically to this map: http://peaklist.org/USPcells/P5000s/P5000cells.jpg
mpbro - Apr 6, 2006 1:06 am - Hasn't voted
Re: Elbert can't be right!Ah, I see. I guess I like area of visbility as a definition of prominence, but this measure favors lone peaks in flat areas, like Mount Diablo in CA, which is not a great peak of the world by anyone's definition, but something like the 3rd most visible peak in the world.
RyanS - Apr 12, 2006 4:23 am - Hasn't voted
Re: Elbert can't be right!Yes, to be most accurate, this is called "topographic prominence", which can vary from one's own idea of prominence :)
How is area of visibility calculated?
mpbro - Apr 12, 2006 7:28 pm - Hasn't voted
Re: Elbert can't be right!Not sure how others do it. I once tried something where I traced straight rays from the earth's surface on a digital elevation model...like this. You can see that it's not rigorous, and doesn't account for geometric bugaboos like earth's curvature, varying ray density (on the earth) as a function of angle, etc. But it was a comical diversion and kept me daydreaming about the mountains in grad school. ;-)
RyanS - Aug 29, 2006 12:52 am - Hasn't voted
Re: Sleepy Cat PeakOops, thanks for the heads-up, Scott!
Sarah Simon - Apr 27, 2010 3:49 pm - Voted 10/10
Thirtynine Mile MountainRyan,
I've attached Thirtynine Mile Mountain to this page. Here's the URL: http://www.summitpost.org/view_object.php?object_id=616384
Cheers,
Sarah
Dean - Jul 28, 2014 7:03 pm - Hasn't voted
Tanks PeakI've had a summitpost page for this one up since 2011.
http://www.summitpost.org/tanks-peak-co/752005
RyanS - Jul 29, 2014 11:44 am - Hasn't voted
Re: Tanks PeakThanks, it's added
Scott - Aug 23, 2014 12:22 pm - Voted 10/10
MoreI was going to add these myself, but I didn't want to mess up your formatting (it is a little different from the method I have used to built charts).
Here are some more:
#16
North Mamm Peak
#29
Summit Peak
#71
Elk Mountain
#137
Diamond Mountain
#147
Buck Mountain
#158
Buckeye Peak
#243
Farwell Mountain
#269
Lost Ranger Peak
#314
Diamond Mountain
#352
Sugar Loaf Mountain
#369
Sheep Mountain
#390
Bear Ears
#423
Escarpment Peak
I'm sure there are more, but I knew these off the top of my head (partially because I have many of the pages). Anyway, when I get some more time I can go through the list more.
Also, the map links don't seem to work for me.