How Old Mount Everest
Alright, picture this: you're hiking up Mount Everest, the granddaddy of all mountains. You're panting like a puppy on a summer's day, and you're thinking, "Man, this thing is...
Alright, picture this: you're hiking up Mount Everest, the granddaddy of all mountains. You're panting like a puppy on a summer's day, and you're thinking, "Man, this thing is old. It's been around since before my grandma's dentures!" Well, you're not wrong, buddy. Everest is ancient, but it's not that old. Let's dive in, shall we?
When Did This Party Start?
So, you're probably wondering, "When did this Everest shindig kick off?" Well, grab your party hats, because we're going back a long time. We're talking around 60 million years ago. That's right, Everest has been around since before your favorite dinosaur was even a twinkle in its mama's eye. But it didn't start off as a mountain, oh no. It was just a bunch of rocks and dirt, chilling on the ocean floor.
Then, one day, the Indian tectonic plate decided it was tired of being a wallflower and crashed into the Eurasian plate. It was like the prom night of the geological world. All that bumping and grinding pushed up the land, and voilà! We have ourselves a mountain. But it wasn't just any mountain, it was a big one. We're talking over 8,800 meters big. That's like stacking 260 Eiffel Towers on top of each other. Crazy, right?
Must Read
Growing Pains
But Everest didn't stop growing after that. No, it was like a teenager, always hungry and always changing. It grew and shrank, grew and shrank, over millions of years. It was like watching a really slow, really boring rollercoaster. But don't worry, it's been stable for the past 50 million years or so. Phew!
And here's where it gets even weirder. You know how we measure Everest's height? We don't just stick a tape measure on it and call it a day. No, we use satellites! That's right, we're using space lasers to measure a mountain on Earth. It's like we're the geology version of a sci-fi movie. And get this, Everest is growing about 4mm every year. That's like watching a time-lapse video of a snail on a sugar cube.
Ice, Ice Baby
Now, you might be thinking, "That's all well and good, but what about all that ice up there?" Well, Everest hasn't always been a frosty fellow. It's only been covered in ice for about 3 million years. Before that, it was just a big, bald mountain. But then, the climate cooled down, and Everest was like, "Hey, I could use a haircut." And that's how we got the Khumbu Glacier, the biggest glacier in the Himalayas.
Vintage Photos of Mount Everest Climbs | National Geographic
And speaking of ice, did you know that Everest's peak is disappearing? No, it's not melting away (although that's happening too, thanks to climate change). It's just that the ice on top is so thick, it's actually lowering the peak. It's like when you wear a really thick hat and suddenly you're shorter than everyone else. Poor Everest, always getting shorter.
The Name Game
You might be calling it Everest, but that's not its real name. No, no, no. The locals call it Chomolungma, which means "Mother Goddess of the Universe." Now that's a name with some serious oomph. And the Tibetans call it Chomolungma too, but they spell it differently. It's like when you have a friend who spells their name with a 'K' but you always spell it with a 'C'. You know who you are.
And here's where it gets even more confusing. The Nepalese call it Sagarmatha, which means "Forehead of the Sky." So, basically, Everest has three names, and they all mean something totally different. It's like if your name was John, but some people called you "Blueberry" and others called you "Sunshine." It'd get a bit confusing, wouldn't it?
The Height of It All
Now, you might be wondering, "How do we know Everest is the highest mountain in the world?" Well, we don't just take its word for it. No, no, no. We measure it. And not just once, but all the time. We use satellites, like we talked about earlier, and we also send people to climb it and measure it from the ground. It's like having a really, really tall friend who's always there to help you reach the top shelf.
Vintage Maps of Mount Everest From National Geographic Archives
And get this, Everest isn't even the tallest mountain in the world if you measure from base to peak. No, that honor goes to Mauna Kea in Hawaii. It's just that Everest is so high above sea level, it looks taller. It's like that kid in school who was always the tallest, but it was only because he was standing on a box.
So, How Old Is It Again?
Alright, so we've talked about Everest's growth spurt, its icy makeover, and its many names. But you're still wondering, "How old is this thing, anyway?" Well, as we talked about earlier, Everest has been around for about 60 million years. But here's the thing: it's not just one age. It's like a layered cake, with each layer telling a different story.
So, when you're standing at the summit, looking out at the world, you're not just seeing one age. You're seeing 60 million years of history, all layered up like a geological lasagna. It's like standing in a museum, but the exhibits are all outside, and you're the one who's inside. It's a bit confusing, I'll give you that.
And there you have it, folks. That's the story of how old Mount Everest is. It's a long one, I know, but it's worth it. After all, Everest isn't just a mountain. It's a story, a history, a legend. And it's one heck of a tale to tell.
