Science & Technology

Mount Everest is experiencing a 'growth spurt', say scientists

By T.K. Randall
October 1, 2024

Image: Mt. Everest from Gokyo Ri (2012)
Credit: Rdevany / CC BY-SA 3.0 (adapted) There remain few peaks on Earth that can match the breathtaking spectacle and challenging conditions of Everest - officially the world's tallest mountain.

But while its claim to fame remains undisputed, exactly how tall Mount Everest actually is has long proven a bit of a challenge to measure accurately - not least because it keeps changing.

Incredibly, Mount Everest is not only still getting taller, but is currently doing so at an accelerated rate.

Conventionally, the mountain is getting taller because the event that created the Himalayas - the collision between the Indian subcontinent and the Eurasian tectonic plate - is still ongoing.More recently (geologically speaking, at least), another factor has contributed to Everest's growth.

Around 89,000 years ago, the upper reach of the Arun River merged with its lower reach, causing an increase in river erosion near the mountain and the formation of a gorge.

The additional water flowing through the valley ultimately eroded the bedrock, causing an uplift of the surrounding land through a process known as isostatic rebound.

As a result, Everest has been propelled upward a further 0.16mm to 0.53mm a year.

According to researchers, however, this boost to the mountain's height will only last until the river itself reaches a new equilibrium state.

Source: The Guardian

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