Mount Everest is growing taller every year, and new research suggests that the merger of two rivers thousands of years ago plays a key role in its rise.
Mount Everest, the world’s tallest mountain at 29,032 feet, continues to grow, and researchers have uncovered a surprising reason for this. While tectonic activity is commonly cited as the cause of the Himalayas’ height increase, new research reveals that the merging of two nearby rivers thousands of years ago plays a significant role in Everest’s ongoing elevation gain.A study published in the journal Nature Geoscience on Sept.
The Earth’s crust, which floats on a semiliquid mantle, rose in response to the reduced weight, pushing Mount Everest and the surrounding land higher.Scientists estimate that Mount Everest is currently gaining between 0.16 and 0.53 millimeters in height each year. This accounts for as much as half of the mountain’s annual uplift rate, meaning Everest could grow as much as 2 millimeters per year in total.
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Mount Everest is taller than it should be — and a weird river may be to blameHannah Osborne is the planet Earth and animals editor at Live Science. Prior to Live Science, she worked for several years at Newsweek as the science editor. Before this she was science editor at International Business Times U.K. Hannah holds a master's in journalism from Goldsmith's, University of London.
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