Japan’s land surveying national body says its latest research has found that Mount Fuji is 5 centimeters higher than it was when last measured. The mountain is the country’s highest peak and a UNESCO World Heritage site.
The Geospatial Information Authority of Japan says its measurement last July discovered that the mountain’s triangulation point, or the fixed station for surveying its altitude, was 3,775.56 meters high.
The institution says it conducted the survey to gauge how the elevations of Mount Fuji and other sites across the country have changed due to crustal deformation.
It says the survey involved the use of a new measurement method based on satellite electronic data and other information.
The institution says it employed the method because a conventional manual approach was time-consuming. It says the old technique also generated large margins of error for places far from the reference base point in central Tokyo.
From April 1, the survey results will be applied to measurements for mapping and construction projects.
AloJapan.com