Mount Everest growing taller than expectations: study

A river is causing Mount Everest and its neighbouring peaks to grow taller through the process of isostatic rebound, according to a recent study.

Isostatic rebound is the elastic deformation of a material caused by the removal of an external load. It describes how the Earth's crust responds to large weight or pressure changes, such as those occurring during post-glacial rebound.

The study, titled "Recent uplift of Chomolungma enhanced by river drainage piracy", published in Nature Geoscience, revealed that Mount Everest is 15-50m taller than it would be due to a river eroding its rocks and soil, consequently uplifting the peak faster.

A researcher at the University College London (UCL) stated that the River Arun, the largest trans-Himalayan River, is causing the highest peak to rise by 2mm a year.

This phenomenon was likened to throwing cargo off a ship, causing it to float higher. Similarly, the crust becomes lighter, resulting in floating a little higher.

The pressure of the collision between the Indian and Eurasian plates millions of years ago formed the Himalayas, and the tectonic activity of the plates has remained involved in the uplifting of Mount Everest. 

However, the study suggests that the Arun River is a contributing factor in the rise of the mountains.

The Arun River carves away material from the Earth's crust, reducing force on the mantle and causing the thinned crust to flex and float uplift. 

Dr Matthew, a co-author of the study, mentioned that Mount Everest and its neighbouring peaks are growing because isostatic rebound is rising among them faster.