Scientists now believe that’s because a river was caught by the mountain’s water system.
The deep Arun Gorge in Everest was formed when the Arun River connected with another nearby river, creating a new route.
Currently, the mountain is rising up to two millimeters a year due to the river network roughly 46 miles away chiseling away at the large gorge.
“Mount Everest is a remarkable mountain of myth and legend and it’s still growing,” said co-author of the paper and PhD candidate Adam Smith of UCL Earth Sciences.
According to our analysis, the neighboring river system’s deeper cuts result in a meaningful loss.
At 8,849 meters, Mount Everest is the highest mountain on Earth. It towers over the next highest peak in the Himalayas by almost 250 meters.
Currently, the Arun River flows through the steep area east of Everest, forming a gorge before merging with the larger Koshi River system downstream.
