Observatories at the summit of Mauna Kea

Hawaii is the only place on Earth where you can drive from sea level to over 4,000 meters (almost 14,000 feet) in a couple of hours. Dave Vernier recently made the trip with a LabQuest 2 and a Gas Pressure Sensor in the vehicle.

Note that the pressure drops to about 60% of normal air pressure at the top. The 50-minute stop along the way is partially to let people acclimate so they are less likely to get altitude sickness.


Atmospheric pressure data collected during a drive to the top of Mauna Kea