Around 50 million years ago, the Eurasian tectonic plate collided with the Indian Plate deep within the Earth. This slow but epic and brutal collision formed the Himalayas and Mount Everest, the towering peak of the Asian mountain range.
Is Mount Everest growing? Many people are familiar with Mount Everest, the world’s tallest mountain, which reaches a height of 29,031.7 feet above sea level. However, not everyone has considered whether the mountain is still growing. Fortunately, scientists have pondered this question before.
In the last few decades, scientists have discovered that Mount Everest isn’t only growing but also growing at a faster rate than previously estimated. Upon measuring it, they found that it was expanding at twice the expected speed.
What’s happening? A team from China University of Geosciences in Beijing and several UK universities recently discovered that the unexpected speed is due to “drainage piracy.” This explanation is almost as fascinating as the phenomenon itself.
One river stole water from another river 45 miles away. Approximately 90,000 years ago, the Kosi River diverted part of the Arun River’s watershed, leading to a chain of geological events that unexpectedly resulted in a taller Mount Everest.
The increased water flow in the Kosi valley accelerated erosion, causing the Earth’s crust to overcompensate through a phenomenon known as “isostatic rebound.” This caused several mountain range peaks to rise to 165 feet higher than anticipated.
A phenomenon more common than it seems. “It’s a bit like throwing a load of cargo off a ship,” study author Adam Smith told the BBC. He added, “The ship becomes lighter and so floats a little higher. Similarly, when the crust becomes lighter… it can float a little higher.”
Isostatic rebound is a relatively common phenomenon worldwide. However, scientists didn’t previously know that it had played such a key role in the evolution of part of the Himalayas.
Image | Julius Zetzsche
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