Researchers believe that a combination of geological factors and the influence of erosion could lead to the emergence of a mountain taller than Everest in the future.
Mount Everest is the highest mountain in the world when measured from sea level. However, to determine whether this will remain the case indefinitely, it is crucial to understand the mountain formation process and why Everest and the rest of the Himalayas are so high. One way that mountains are formed is when two tectonic plates collide. As one plate begins to sink or move below the other, the Earth’s crust is pushed upward, forming a mountain.
According to Rob Butler, a geologist at the University of Aberdeen in Scotland, the height of mountains formed by this type of collision depends on various factors. These characteristics include the thickness of the Earth’s crust, which is determined by the intensity and duration of the tectonic collision, as well as the temperature of the crust, which is influenced by its age.
Everest is currently the highest mountain in the world at a height of 8,849m.
“Imagine the Earth’s crust not as a solid object but as a viscous liquid like maple syrup. Just like cold syrup, a cold crust is more viscous and therefore more stable. Thus, a thicker, colder crust will form taller mountains compared to a thinner, warmer crust,” Butler explains.
In addition to the thickness and temperature of the Earth’s crust, the most crucial factor determining the height and development of mountains is erosion. According to Butler, the effects of erosion are so significant that the Himalayas are one of the fastest uplifting rock systems on the planet. This is based on the principle of isostasy. Similar to container ships floating on the ocean, the less material piled on top of the Earth’s crust, the higher it will rise above the mantle (the middle layer of the planet).
Thus, the more material is removed from the mountain, whether through rivers, glaciers, or heavy rain and landslides, the higher the surrounding mountains will rise. In fact, a 2024 study indicated that the rapid erosion of a river system over 72 km from Mount Everest has helped the peak rise by 15 to 50 meters over the past 89,000 years.
While erosion is a factor in mountain development, it also contributes to mountain shrinkage, according to Matthew Fox, a geologist at the University of London. Whether a mountain grows or shrinks depends on the balance between the rate of erosion and the rate of uplift. If the rate of uplift exceeds the rate of erosion, the mountain will grow. If the rate of erosion is greater, the mountain will shrink.
Some scientists believe that Nanga Parbat—one of Everest’s neighboring mountains in the Himalayas and the ninth highest mountain on Earth—is developing quickly enough to surpass Everest in height in the future. However, Butler is uncertain whether this will happen. Even though Nanga Parbat is growing faster than Everest, it is eroding more quickly due to the intensity of rainfall in the region. In contrast, Everest is growing and eroding more slowly, making it only 610 meters taller than Nanga Parbat.
Nonetheless, Butler does not rule out the possibility that another mountain in the Himalayas might dethrone Everest. Regardless of fluctuations over time, various factors will cause changes in the rate of peak development. However, Butler believes that the likelihood of a peak significantly taller than Everest is very low. Additionally, on Earth, gravity is too strong for mountains to grow much taller than Everest’s current height.
