Talk:Pico da Neblina

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[edit] Pico da Neblina Height

The information on elevation of Pico da Neblina in this article (2.994 m) conflicts with the same information in the List of Mountais in Brazil, that states 3.014 m.

See revised text indicating the correct from 3,014 to 2,994. --Bejnar 17:55, 3 October 2007 (UTC)


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The 3,014-m figure came from a primitive measurement (for today's standards) made in the early 1960s with a theodolite. It was accepted for about 40 years, because the peak is extremely remote and almost inaccessible (not to mention cloudy most of the time, as its own name states), making a new measurement hardly feasible during most of that period. Apparently, it also never occurred to anyone that the figure might have been imprecise.

In 2001, however, the Brazilian Institute for Geography and Statistics (IBGE) and the Brazilian Army's Military Engineering Institute (IME) decided to undertake a more precise measurement of the country's highest mountains. New technologies (namely GPS) had appeared, air traffic had grown a lot in the previous decades, meaning more potential terrain collision risks, and other countries were also performing new measurements of their mountains.

After the usual red tape, wait for funding and a lengthy preparation, the so-called "Highest Points Project" (Projeto Pontos Culminantes, in Portuguese) was carried out in 2004-2005 by means of a series of expeditions by a special unit of the Brazilian Army, using high-precision, state-of-the-art GPS equipment. It was then found that Pico da Neblina was 20 meters lower than it was previously believed.

So, the 2,994-m figure for Pico da Neblina is as correct and accurate as it can be. As for the List of mountains in Brazil, I am editing it now to reflect the Highest Points Project's official data and correct a few other errors I found there.

-UrsoBR 11:50, 16 November 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Citations

I have not yet found these citations:

  • ...neston, D.J. (1984) "Expedition to the Mountain of the Mists" Natural History 93(9): pp.89-93.
  • Z?nser, J.A. 1985. Exploring a lost world. Science Digest, 93(5):36.
  • Blonston, G. 1985. Mountain of the mists" Science 85, August 6(6): 60-69. Note in 1985 Science volume was New Series, Vol. 229 For August 1985 Science published: No. 4712, Aug. 2, 1985, pp. 421-504; No. 4713, Aug. 9, 1985, pp. 505-588; and No. 4714, Aug. 16, 1985, pp. 589-696. It appears that this may be a periodical the sixth volume of which was entitled Science 85 published by the American Association for the Advancement of Science. --Bejnar 17:55, 3 October 2007 (UTC)