Sentinel Digital Desk
Mount Everest, the tallest mountain on Earth, stands at 8.85 km above sea level. Surprisingly, according to a new study, Everest is still growing taller!
Why is Everest Growing?
For 50 million years, the collision of the Indian and Eurasian tectonic plates has been pushing the Himalayas higher. But scientists recently found that Everest is growing faster than expected.
Around 89,000 years ago, the Kosi and Arun rivers merged, which had a huge impact on Everest. This river system change caused an increase in the mountain's height by 49-164 feet (15-50 meters).
The merged rivers led to more erosion, removing large amounts of rock from the region. This reduced the weight on Earth's crust, allowing the land beneath to rise, a process known as isostatic rebound.
Mount Everest keeps growing because of natural processes like river erosion and tectonic shifts. The prospect of discovering more about how Earth's landscape changes over time excites scientists.