The Himalayan mountains grow about 5 centimeters taller every year.

The formation of the Himalayas began approximately 40 to 50 million years ago during the Cenozoic Era. This massive mountain range was created by the ongoing collision between the Indo-Australian and Eurasian tectonic plates. Geologists from institutions like the University of Arizona have documented that the Indian plate continues to move northward at a rate of about 5 centimeters per year.As these two massive landmasses converge, the Indian plate slides beneath the Eurasian plate in a process known as subduction. This immense pressure forces the Earth's crust to buckle and fold, pushing the peaks of the Himalayas higher into the atmosphere. Mount Everest, the highest point on Earth, is a primary beneficiary of this geological uplift.However, the net height of the mountains is a constant battle between tectonic forces and environmental factors. Glacial movement, high-altitude winds, and heavy monsoon rains cause significant erosion that strips material away from the summits. Despite this, the upward thrust remains slightly faster than the rate of wear in many areas.Modern satellite technology, including Global Positioning System (GPS) sensors placed directly on the rock, allows scientists to track these millimeter-level changes in real-time. These measurements confirm that while the growth is slow by human standards, it represents a massive and violent geological event on a planetary scale. The Himalayas remain one of the most tectonically active regions in the world today.