₦airaland Forum

It might surprise you, but the tallest mountain on Earth — Mount Everest — isn’t standing still. It’s actually growing a little taller each year, by about 4 millimeters, thanks to the unstoppable forces of nature beneath our feet.

The Science Behind It

Mount Everest sits on the boundary between two massive tectonic plates — the Indian Plate and the Eurasian Plate. Millions of years ago, the Indian Plate began pushing northward into Asia with immense force. The impact was so powerful that it crumpled and lifted the land upward, forming the mighty Himalayas, where Everest proudly stands today.

That collision didn’t stop — it’s still happening!
The Indian Plate continues to move toward the Eurasian Plate at a rate of about 5 centimeters (2 inches) per year, and this slow, powerful movement keeps pushing Everest upward.

So even though 4 millimeters may sound tiny, over thousands of years it adds up — that’s how Everest became the world’s highest peak at 8,848.86 meters (29,031.7 feet).

Nature’s Tug of War

But here’s where it gets interesting: while tectonic activity pushes Everest higher, erosion and earthquakes sometimes take some of that height away.

1. Erosion from wind, rain, and ice slowly wears down the mountain.

2. Earthquakes can shift or compress the mountain’s structure, occasionally lowering its height slightly.

For instance, after the 2015 Nepal earthquake, scientists debated whether Everest’s height had changed — prompting China and Nepal to jointly remeasure it in 2020 using advanced GPS and satellite technology.

Everest’s Living Legacy

Everest’s growth is a reminder that mountains are alive in geological terms — constantly changing, shifting, and evolving, even if we can’t see it with the naked eye.

Every year, as you read this, the world’s tallest mountain gets a little taller, symbolizing the slow but relentless power of our planet’s crust.

Fun Fact

If Everest continues growing at this rate, it would take about 250,000 years to grow just 1 kilometer taller — a blink of an eye in geological time, but an eternity for us humans.

Orogeny related to plate tectonics.

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What is even human problem self, you have 70years to live, you go dey investigate something that will take 1m years to grow a kilometer, wetin consign you?

Unfortunately posts like this won't make front page. nairaland be deliberate about pushing educational post, contribute your own quota of empowering the youths and reduce post of celebrity news that don't add value. Just look at the low view and that is when you will know that most youths avoid anything educational

hope4nigeria:
What is even human problem self, you have 70years to live, you go dey investigate something that will take 1m years to grow a kilometer, wetin consign you?

With this your thinking we for see dey see motor dey run. Investigating, exploring are all part of learning.

hope4nigeria:
What is even human problem self, you have 70years to live, you go dey investigate something that will take 1m years to grow a kilometer, wetin consign you?

😂🤣😂

I'm more concerned about my preek getting bigger.

Mount Everest is a very Giant Tree that was cut down after human giant went extinct.

It grows yearly but not like the proper trees we know today. It cannot attain the level of a full tree again. Coz 'THEY' keep spraying it with deadly chemicals.

Mountain Climbers who saw things wer threatened to keep mute, some died few months later (keep an open mind, they were killed)

When i finished smoking my weed, my conspiracy theory mind wakes up. 😂

blueghost:
Unfortunately posts like this won't make front page. nairaland be deliberate about pushing educational post, contribute your own quota of empowering the youths and reduce post of celebrity news that don't add value. Just look at the low view and that is when you will know that most youths avoid anything educational

what is the economic or intellectual importance of mount everest to us in Nigeria 🤡

This is very very true.

I measured it the last time I reached the summit.

ednut1:
what is the economic or intellectual importance of mount everest to us in Nigeria 🤡

at least I learned the origin of Mount Everest. Its parents. The Eurasia plate and Indian plate.

I can’t say much about tinubu. His parents. Schools attended . Even his age