Question

Mount Everest gets a little taller every year due to erosion from a nearby river.

Answer 1

Rudy Molinek, the author of this article is a PhD candidate studying geology and paleoclimate at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He includes information from the New York Times, specifically from Jin-Gen Dai, a geoscientist at the China University of Geosciences. Jin-Gen Dai does a lot of research on mountains and geochemistry. He also includes information from Adam Smith, a geoscientist at University College London, and BBC News. Other sources, such as the New York Times, NBC News, and the Washington Post confirm the information. Mount Everest grows about two millimeters taller each year due to the erosion caused by two rivers merging and lightning the Earth's crust, allowing it to "float" higher(isostatic rebound). The author also has links embedded in certain words that emphasize the point he is trying to make. Each one of those links is another source that provides more information to support his point.

Comments

I find it interesting that you researched the person behind the article of the commenter. Knowing the background of the authors can help better understand and evaluate if something written or posted was true or not. This can create confidence in searching for the appropriate and most accurate information available online.

Answer 2

This claim is true. According to a study from Nature Geoscience, "Mount Everest or Sagarmāthā—is higher than surrounding peaks, and GPS measurements suggest a higher uplift rate in recent years than the long-term trend". Put simply, the study found that rivers are eroding the base of the mountain making the distance from the new base to the peak greater. This is only by a few millimeters per year. 

https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20220407-how-tall-will-mount-everest-get-before-it-stops-growing

https://www.washingtonpost.com/climate-environment/2024/09/30/everest-growing-uplift/

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41561-024-01535-w.epdf?sharing_token=8_U3MvNrcrnhhIdbgzU-FdRgN0jAjWel9jnR3ZoTv0M0GbJQJJgw7V_SMd5DmjgCkQxaJJwQisHwmX12zE5zbCXY2NYLGW2AzLkq4T6-TTx1H95ngX74QkkxC9w3uMPz7FmKNzZMJ9kvvUchX-thX9MCQV0CIRip0z6ZUVZRvS2uOcCU3TtIOFQ0uGAzsS1hHxR8UMQF-1bx548dpDfDyMzKPl6Em3KpYc8-6K9PnZA%3D&tracking_referrer=www.washingtonpost.com

is higher than surrounding peaks, and GPS measurements suggest a

higher uplift rate in recent years than the long-term trend

Answer 3

It’s true, Mount Everest is growing in height. But it can also grow shorter, in this NPR article it states that due to the tectonic plates shifting in India, Mount Everest had shifted in height. The NPR article states, “Scientists say Everest is getting taller, over time, because of plate tectonics. As the Indian plate slips under the Eurasian plate, it uplifts the Himalayas.” and most recently scientists have been sent to measure the Mountain to actually discover its new numbers. This is currently happening, and an article released today (October 24th 2024) says that the information of the new height is being withheld for the time being, and that not even the Cabinet knows of the new numbers. 

 

Sources:

https://www.npr.org/2020/11/24/938736955/how-tall-is-mount-everest-hint-its-changing

https://kathmandupost.com/national/2020/11/26/cabinet-gives-approval-to-announce-new-height-of-mt-everest-join-india-s-air-bubble-scheme

Answer 4

The claim that Mt. Everest is growing is true. Due to tectonic plate movement, the earth's surface is constantly changing, just not at a rate that humans notice regularly. However, Mt. Everest, due to its unique placement, is growing at a more significant rate. I found several articles making the same claims through a single Google search. The article also links the New York Times article that interviewed the Chinese geologist Jin-Gen Dai and his research on the growth of Mt. Everest.

Answer 5

This claim is correct. Mount Everest is getting taller every year because of rock uplift rates and the rivers surrounding it. I cross referenced the information in the article to the study done in Nature Geoscience, a peer-reviewed scientific journal, which also appears to be a primary source for other articles about this same claim. The information about how and why Mount Everest is getting taller didn't get distorted as the journalist translated it to be more accessible for the everyday reader.

The Nature Geoscience study: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41561-024-01535-w