Curiosity Corner: Will Mount Everest ever stop growing? |
High above the clouds stands Mount Everest, the tallest mountain on Earth. Its snowy head rises about 8,848.86 metres above sea level. That is taller than many airplanes fly. But here is the surprising part. Everest is not frozen in time. It is still moving. It is still rising. It is still changing. Will it ever stop growing? The answer is not simple, and that makes the story even more exciting.
Why is Everest growing at all?
The Earth’s surface is not one solid piece. It is made of giant slabs called tectonic plates. These plates move very slowly. They move as slowly as fingernails grow.Everest sits where the Indian plate pushes into the Eurasian plate. This push has been happening for about 50 million years. When these plates crash into each other, the land crumples and lifts upward. That is how the Himalayas were born.Even today, the Indian plate keeps pushing north. Because of this pressure, Everest rises by a few millimetres each year. It may sound tiny, but over thousands of years, it adds up.
But doesn’t erosion pull it down?
Yes, it does.Mountains gradually erode due to wind, rain, snow, and ice. We refer to this process as erosion. Pieces of rock are carried away by rivers. The surface is carved by glaciers. Loose stones are pulled downward by gravity.So while tectonic plates push Everest up, erosion pulls it down. It is like a tug of war between two powerful teams.Scientists measure both forces. Right now, the upward push is slightly stronger than the wearing away. That is why Everest is still gaining height.
Will Everest grow forever?
No mountain grows forever.The Earth is always changing. If the tectonic plates stop pushing, Everest will stop rising. If erosion becomes stronger than uplift, the mountain could slowly shrink.This may happen millions of years from now. Nothing about it will be quick. Mountains change on a time scale far longer than human history.So in a child’s lifetime, Everest will not suddenly shoot up like a rocket. Its growth is patient and steady.
Do all mountains grow like this?
Not all mountains grow the same way.The Himalayas are still rising because the plates beneath them are still pushing.Although they form where one plate slides under another, the Andes likewise expand as a result of plate movement.The much older ones are the Rocky Mountains. Erosion now shapes them more than uplift, and their expansion has slowed.Volcanoes can also create mountains. When magma rises and hardens, it builds land upward. Others are very old and worn down, like rounded hills that once were sharp peaks.Each mountain has its own life story.
How do scientists know it is growing?
Measuring a mountain’s height is not easy. Weather changes, snow depth shifts, and earthquakes move land.Scientists from countries like Nepal and China use GPS tools and satellite technology to measure Everest’s exact height. After a large earthquake in 2015, experts checked whether the height changed. Careful surveys followed, and in 2020 both nations agreed on the updated official height.This shows something important. Mountains are not statues. They respond to the Earth’s movements beneath them.Disclaimer: This article is written for educational purposes. Scientific measurements and geological processes are based on current research and may be updated as new studies emerge.
