How do you measure a mountain?

On the banks of the St Lawrence River in Quebec stands a 100-year-old lighthouse. While initially built to help boats navigate one of Canada’s most difficult waterways, the Point-de-Père site now also holds a different responsibility: it is a key reference for measuring sea levels around the entire North America continent.

But this is all set to change. With the development of new satellite technology, the tricky task of measuring sea levels is being updated - which could mean mountains around North America get brand new official heights.

In this episode we revisit a question from CrowdScience listener Beth, who wondered about the elevation signs she saw scattered along a mountainous road, indicating how high above sea level she was. As sea levels rise, will all the elevation signs need repainting? And how do you measure sea level, anyway?

The height of an enormous pile of rock like Ben Nevis, or Mount Everest feels unchangeable. But we measure them relative to the nearest patch of sea, which is where our story becomes complicated. Unlike water in a bath, sea level is not equal around the world. In fact, nothing on earth - not the sea, the shore or the mountains - is stable or constant, so the question of what you measure from and to becomes incredibly tricky. But that hasn’t stopped scientists risking life and fingers to use an ever-evolving array of technologies to find answers.

Join host Marnie Chesterton as she dives into the mechanics of the latest sea level technology, and how it could make a big difference to understanding our unpredictable world.

Presenter: Marnie Chesterton Producer: Julia Ravey and Marnie Chesterton Editor: Cathy Edwards Production Co-ordinator: Ishmael Soriano and Jana Holesworth Studio Manager: Emma Harth

(Image: Elevation Sign Post, Rocky Mountain National Park. Credit: Stephanie Beverungen via Getty Images.)