A model suggests a massive uplift caused by a phenomenon called “river piracy” partly explains Everest’s impressive height

Mount Everest is growing taller every year, and new research suggests that the merger of two rivers thousands of years ago plays a key role in its rise.

A river’s shift 89,000 years ago may have added up to 160 feet to Everest’s height through erosion and crust rebound, linking river dynamics to mountain formation in the Himalayas.