Due to ongoing tectonic plate movement, Mount Everest increases slightly in height every year, with long-term measurements showing uplift on the order of a few millimetres annually as the Indian plate continues to collide with the Eurasian plate.
Overview
The Himalaya, including Mount Everest, are the result of a long-lived collision between the Indian and Eurasian tectonic plates. This convergent plate boundary forces crustal material upward, producing ongoing mountain building. Although the change is imperceptible on human timescales, precise geodetic measurements reveal that the summit gains height slowly each year.
Why it happens
The primary driver of Everest’s uplift is horizontal compression where the Indian plate slides beneath and pushes against Eurasia. This compressive stress shortens and thickens the crust, forcing rock upward. Localised adjustments such as fault motion, elastic rebound after earthquakes and erosion-driven isostatic responses also influence annual changes in elevation.
How we measure it
Scientists use GPS stations, satellite radar, and repeated surveying to determine small changes in elevation. These high-precision techniques can detect millimetre-scale trends over years and decades, separating seasonal and short-term fluctuations from long-term tectonic uplift.
Implications
Annual growth affects scientific understanding of mountain building, earthquake risk and landscape evolution. Although a few millimetres a year is negligible for climbers, accumulated uplift over geological time helps explain why the Himalaya remain the highest mountain range on Earth and why the region is tectonically active.
Quick related facts
- Cause: collision of the Indian and Eurasian tectonic plates
- Rate: a few millimetres per year of uplift
- Measurement: GPS, satellite radar and geodetic surveys
- Effect: long-term mountain building and seismic activity in the Himalaya