how did people measure mountain height before, say, lasers?

>>9098008
probably some form of trigonometry

I think with by atmospheric pressure

math. you know the ancient greeks knew the circumference of the earth, right?

Trigonometry and triangulation.

>>9098017
Well, what kind of math, anon?
IIRC the Greeks used differences in shadow length at different latitudes to compute the circumference of the Earth. I fail to see how that can be applied to measure the height of mountains.

>>9098017
well how the fugg would that help with mountains.
>math, and then a miracle happens
>>9098015
nested trigonometry, comparing one visible point after another from himalaya to ocean coast? there has to be an easier way
>>9098016
unless one has ground pressure at same point of map, it's of too error prone. planes only show "altitude" relative to standard atmosphere or to nearby airport.

To calculate the elevation of a mountain, scientists would measure the distance between two points on the ground and then measure the angles between the top of the mountain and each point. "If you have two angles, you know the third, because the sum of the angles is 180 [degrees],"

I literally just googled your question.

>>9098029
>there has to be an easier way
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Trigonometrical_Survey
apparently not. they physically measured distances and angles from peak to ground level as late as the 1800s

http://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Journals/ISIS/12/3/Determinations_of_Heights_of_Mountains*.html

they hung a long ruler from an airship

>>9098038
useless without height of their reference altitudel, which will probably not be on coast.
well done googler

>>9098045
all useless

what methoed delivers the absolute number above sea level which will be shown on official maps.
obviously not some plebby greek shit.

>>9098038
Not really though, you can still get a ballpark height. If you have a predetermined horizontal distance and at those two points use a glorified protractor or something, you have a side and 2 angles of the triangle. From that you can find the height of the triangle (mountain height). Being at sea level means nothing

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>>9098057
still don't see how any of this eliminates variable reference altitude

>>9098055
>doesn't realize height relative to sea level can be obtained via the exact same methods
god why do i keep falling for the bait

>>9098068
already adressed here
>>90980294

enjoy your error propagation and dunning kruger

>>9098072
meant this
>>9098029

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>>9098043
most satisfying answer so far i guess

>>9098076
i mean you asked how they did it
you can't just be like "BUT HOW DID THEY DO IT ACCURATELY THIS IS CLEARLY NOT ACCOUNTING FOR SOMETHING"
yes, they clearly didn't account for it and subsequent measurements did

>>9098081
i hoped for a spark of genius, not engineer brute force.

>>9098008

a barometer you dumbfuck

They first choose a bunch of people with similar wingspan. They proceed to climb the mountain one by one while holding hands, until first one gets to the top. Then multiply people on the mountain times average wingspan length. Measure tallest dude in wingspan times people then use Thales.

>>9098176
>this is what normies actually believe

>>9098084
You seem surprised that measurements improve as instruments get better.

>>9098008
They had slaves back then

>>9098008
Trigonometry.
Everest was first measured using it.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solution_of_triangles#Triangulation
/thread

>>9098066
?
You could just measure it more than once from many different positions around the mountain and then calculate its average.

But whatever you can just go on saying that its not the exact hight down to nanometers you fucking brainlet.

>>9099383
>not reading thread, just repeating other people's strawman.
ok.
>taking average of multiple illegitimate measurements. >expecting the average to be somehow closer to truth
kek

>>9098008
Why do you think they measured the mountains? Why the fuck would they did that?

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>>9100559

>>9098084
You are retarded and huff /sci/ memes