Arun River, flowing about 75 km away from Everest, could be making the world’s tallest mountain even taller.
Scientists at University College London have discovered that the Arun River, flowing about 75 km away from Everest, could be making the world’s tallest mountain even taller.
The river is busy carving away rock and soil as it flows through the Himalayas. This erosion is actually making the Earth’s crust lighter in that area. And just like a ship that floats higher when cargo is removed, the lightened crust can “float” a bit higher on the layer below it, called the mantle.
This process is pushing Everest upwards by up to 2 mm each year, potentially making it 15-50 meters taller than it would be otherwise. It’s not just Everest either neighboring peaks like Lhotse and Makalu are getting a lift too.
Of course, the main reason the Himalayas exist and continue to grow is the collision of tectonic plates that started millions of years ago. But this river effect, called “isostatic rebound,” is giving an extra push.
While some geologists find this idea plausible, they caution that there’s still much to learn about this process. It just goes to show that even the mightiest mountains on Earth can be shaped by the humble flow of water!
