The Incredible Reason Everest Grows Every Year

He Everest It is the highest mountain ever seen in the world. Now, a team of scientists identified that the majestic mountain continues to grow.

According to a recent study involving researchers from the United Kingdom’s University College London (UCL) and the University of Geosciences of China, Everest increased its height between 15 and 50 meters over the last 90,000 years, due to the action of an ancient river nearby.

Everest is a mountain peak located in the Himalayas in Asia. It marks the border between Nepal and Tibet, an autonomous region of China.

For decades, it has been revered by neighboring towns, which means that each of them names it differently, as described in British Encyclopedia . The Nepalese know it as Sagarmatha, meaning “The Front of Heaven,” while the Tibetans call it Chomolungma, meaning “The Mother of the Universe.”

Culminating at 8,849 meters above sea level, Everest is the highest mountain on the face of the Earth.

According to the authors of the recent research, Everest is “abnormally high for the mountain range” taking into account that the other three highest peaks, K2, Kangchenjunga and Lhotse, differ from each other by only about 120 meters. Meanwhile, Everest manages to surpass the next highest peak in the Himalayas by 250 meters.

“This may hint that something interesting is going on.” he explained to the site Live Science Adam Smith, researcher at University College London and author of the recent study.

The data obtained by Smith and his colleagues indicate that, year after year, Everest grows about 2 millimeters which is faster than the expected rate of rise for the mountain range. To discover the cause of this rapid growth, the team sought to determine whether Himalayan rivers had an impact on this process.

In the study, published September 30 in the magazine Natural geosciences researchers from University College London and China University of Geosciences suggest that The world’s tallest mountain has continued to grow due to the erosion of a nearby river system, which in turn has carved out a vast gorge.

Currently, the Arun River, located about 75 kilometers from Everest, is merged with the Kosi River system, which has a greater flow. For thousands of years, it carried millions of tons and sediments precisely by carving the gorges on its banks.

As part of the research, the team used digital models to simulate the evolution of the Kosi River, which flows through China, Nepal and India. After that, they made a comparison with the available topography.

Researchers determined that the Arun River eventually became “captured” by the Kosi River fluvial system. known as drain hacking. The event triggered an increase in river erosion, deepening the Arun Gorge.

As a result, Arun’s loss of land mass pushed up Everest, causing the mountain to grow at a rate of 2 millimeters per year. Only in the last 89,000 years, since the merger of Arun with Kosi, has the famous mountain managed to increase its height from 15 to 50 meters, according to researchers.

“Mount Everest is an extraordinary mountain, full of myths and legends, and it continues to grow. “Our research shows that as the nearby river system deepens, the loss of material causes the mountain to rise even higher.” Smith said in a statement.

Dr. Jin-Gen Dai, a researcher at the China University of Geosciences and co-author of the study, said that “there is an interesting river system in the Everest region.”

“The Arun River, upstream, flows eastwards at high altitude with a flat valley. It then turns sharply south like the Kosi River, losing height and becoming steeper. This unique topography, indicative of an unstable state, is likely linked to the extreme height of Everest,” he added.

According to the researchers, the fact that Everest is “abnormally high” for the mountain range is also explained by an effect called isostatic rebound .

During this event, a portion of the Earth’s crust that has lost mass flexes and then “floats” upward. The above occurs since the pressure of the liquid mass is greater than the downward force of gravity once the mass is lost. Although it is a gradual process and a few millimeters per year, it can make a noticeable difference to the Earth’s surface when several geological periods have passed.

Everest is not the only one to have experienced an uprising. And other nearby mountains, like Lhotsé and the Makalu , were also affected by the event .

The team of scientists says isostatic rebound can increase the height of these peaks by an amount similar to that of the world’s tallest mountain. However, the Makalu would witness greater growth as it comes closer to the Arun River.

“Mount Everest and its neighboring peaks are growing because isostatic rebound lifts them faster than erosion depletes them. We can see that they are growing at a rate of around two millimeters per year using GPS instruments and we now have a better understanding of what’s driving it,” said Dr Matthew Fox of University College London.

For Dr. Xu Han, a researcher at the China University of Geosciences and lead author of the study, The change undergone by Everest is an example of “the dynamic nature of the Earth’s surface.” .

“The interaction between the erosion of the Arun River and the upward pressure of the Earth’s mantle gives a boost to Mount Everest, pushing it to a greater height than it would otherwise reach,” he concluded .