What is Sea Level?

Just when you thought it was simple …

I did not understand your free fact. -_-

I don’t think I’ve ever put that much thought into sea level before. My
mind is kind of blown by this.

Great visual explanation of Sea Level (in case you didn’t already know).

Great visual explanation of Sea Level (in case you didn’t already know).

Waaay over my head.

Aren’t human beings such awesomely curious creatures?

Whoa….very thought provoking. Didn’t realize how much of an elipsoid the
earth was.

Great video! Would you tell me how do you make your animations?

my mind is blown…..

Awesome video. Just one question: shouldn’t this be on the MinuteEarth
channel?

Longer video=great! Thanks!

There is so much I don’t know that I wish I did. Thanks for making it one
thing less.

Pesky continents moving around on the earth’s surface? Everything was
pretty awesome, up to that little error. Continents don’t move around. The
water does. Land masses spread apart as the earth is growing bigger and
bigger. But that’s another story. Otherwise, GREAT JOB! This is the best
explanation of the controversial sea level issue, on earth. Literally. This
makes history.

Isn’t this more minuteearth content? Either way really cool video!

Isn’t this more minuteearth content? Either way really cool video!

Sea level is not the same everyplace?

Well it’s about more of the physics behind sea level, than facts about the
planet

Where do you take it’s base from? Sea level as defined by without gravity?
Sea level with gravity? The sea floor ( which is so variable it is useless
to measure against ) or the centre of the earth? (Which has more to do with
the region then the mountain itself)

I remember my father, a physicist, explaining this to me as a kid. He used
the geodetic model in his job, writing targeting programs for
intercontinental ballistic missiles.

What if there was an identical version of mount Everest, but made of
osmium. Since it would have more of a pull on the water wouldn’t that make
its sea-level higher, and therefor shorter even though its identical.

I don’t think I’ve ever put that much thought into sea level before. My
mind is kind of blown by this.

The only thing that stuck was that Gravity was stronger or weaker at
different points on the earth. Quick tell me where gravity is weakest so
that I can take my wife there have her step on a scale and tell her, “See
honey, you’re not fat!!!”

This is amazing and how these videos should be. Imagine a 10 second video
which only says “Seal level is measured by scientists calculating gravity
if the mountain is not there. this calculation is programmed into GPS
satellites”

Wow! I never would have thought how much work has gone into this seemingly
intuitively simple concept – sea level!

Scientists of all kinds – the uncelebrated heroes of our civilization, just
doing their work.

When we say Mt. Everest is 8850m tall, how do we know what sea level would
be beneath the mountain? NEW VIDEO!

THANK YOU FOR A NON 10 SECOND VIDEO!!!!