"Joanne Simpson" <cor### [at] onewhiteravencom> schreef in bericht
news:web.43683abfe9e218d9dc45bc820@news.povray.org...
>
> On the other hand, if the material were purely plastic (e.g. clay or
metal),
> it _might_ deform like the picture, but I suspect the slope of the
mountain
> would be much shallower, and the shape of the top more flared out.
>
>
Now, that's interesting Joanne! From a different perspective (the
measurements of Fist-of-God on the Ringworld map in Ringworld Engineers), I
come to the conclusion that the mountain should have the shape of a shield
volcano, i.e. very flat.
Consider: The *base* starts almost at sea-level and gives it a radius of
150,000 miles. The slopes are gentle until an altitude of about 80 miles.
The final *cone* has a radius of 25,000 miles and ends at 1000 miles
altitude.
If you draw or model this you get a very flat object, with only the very top
perhaps flaring upwards. I even suspect that the mountain is so huge that it
would hardly be *visible* from the ground! in contradiction with what Niven
writes in fact...

Bill, what do you think? Do you agree with my measurements?

Thomas

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