Topographic prominence facts for kids
Topographic prominence is a way to measure the independence of a summit. It is often known simply as prominence. Some also call it autonomous height, relative height, shoulder drop (in the United States), or prime factor (in Europe). It is "the elevation difference between the summit and the lowest contour line encircling it and no higher summit".
Two related concepts in topography are col and parent peak. These are used to calculate the prominence. The parent peak is a higher mountain that is often (but not always) nearby. It is chosen using a variety of criteria. The col is the lowest point between two peaks. There may be several cols between a peak and its parent peak, since other peaks may be between the two. The highest of these cols is known as the key col. Prominence is measured as the difference in height between the summit and the key col.
Contents
Related pages
- List of mountain peaks by prominence
- Topography
- Topographic isolation
Lists
Images for kids
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Topographic prominence of three peaks located in Maine, USA, all near the higher Great Pond Mountain. Red triangles mark the four peaks, the lowest contour line encircling each of the three lower peaks are shown in black and the green dots mark the key cols that mark the starting point of prominence. The prominences are Atkins Hill: 430 − 310 = 120 ft, Cave Hill: 570 − 530 = 40 ft, Mead Mountain: 671 − 530 = 141 ft. The parent peak of each peak is Great Pond Mountain.
See also
In Spanish: Prominencia para niños
