If your device has a barometric altimeter and is included in our device database, the activity page will display the elevation that the device recorded into the file.
>If your device doesn’t have a barometric altimeter or the file is from our mobile app, the activity page will display a “corrected elevation”. This process involves cross-referencing the GPS data in the file to our database of barometric data. ***The accuracy of this calculation hinges on the accuracy of your file’s GPS data and the accuracy of our basemap.***
You’re adding up the height difference of a finite amount of subsections of your route. If one datapoint is before a hill, and the next one is after. The hill gets ignored. If the second point is on top of the hill, it counts.
If you add up every speed bump and pebble on your route, you will end up with many more vertical meters than if you only measure every 100 meters.
2 Comments
So I guess your Garmin doesn’t have a barometer built in..
From [Strava](https://support.strava.com/hc/en-us/articles/115001294564-Elevation-on-Strava-FAQs)
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If your device has a barometric altimeter and is included in our device database, the activity page will display the elevation that the device recorded into the file.
>If your device doesn’t have a barometric altimeter or the file is from our mobile app, the activity page will display a “corrected elevation”. This process involves cross-referencing the GPS data in the file to our database of barometric data. ***The accuracy of this calculation hinges on the accuracy of your file’s GPS data and the accuracy of our basemap.***
My Garmin and Strava elevation data is identical
Part of it is the [coastline paradox](https://youtube.com/shorts/u2sCbI_bFLY?is=elMGpjK3NKRksk5x).
You’re adding up the height difference of a finite amount of subsections of your route. If one datapoint is before a hill, and the next one is after. The hill gets ignored. If the second point is on top of the hill, it counts.
If you add up every speed bump and pebble on your route, you will end up with many more vertical meters than if you only measure every 100 meters.