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The Highest Place on Earth: Mount Everest Facts
Why the roof of the world was once an ocean floor
Mount Everest stands 29,032 feet above sea level. Its summit is made of ocean limestone filled with ancient marine fossils from 450 million years ago.
Key Facts
Official Height
29,032 feet (8,849 meters) above sea level
Summit Rock Type
450 million year old ocean limestone
Growth Rate
Grows about 2 millimeters taller each year
First Summit
Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay on May 29, 1953
Most Summits
Kami Rita Sherpa with 31 times as of 2025
Highest Permanent Resident
Himalayan jumping spider at 22,000 feet
Temperature at Summit
Average of minus 33°F in January
Wind Speeds
Hurricane force winds over 175 mph
Total Summits
Over 6,000 people have reached the top
Location
Border of Nepal and Tibet (China)
Tibetan Name
Chomolungma meaning Goddess Mother of the World
Age of the Mountain
Began forming about 50 million years ago
About The Highest Place on Earth: Mount Everest Facts
Mount Everest stands 29,032 feet above sea level as the highest point on Earth. The rock at its summit is 450 million year old ocean limestone packed with fossils of ancient sea creatures. The tallest mountain on the planet was once the floor of a prehistoric sea.
An Ocean Floor Pushed Into the Sky
The summit is made of Ordovician limestone filled with fossils of trilobites, crinoids, and tiny marine creatures. About 50 million years ago, India collided with Asia and squeezed the Tethys Sea floor upward. That collision continues today, pushing Everest about two millimeters taller each year.
The Mountain That Keeps Growing
Scientists recently discovered Everest grows faster than expected. About 89,000 years ago, a nearby river was captured by the Kosi river system. The massive erosion triggered geological rebound that adds extra height. Everest may have gained 50 to 165 extra feet from this single event.
Not Actually the Tallest Mountain
Everest is the highest above sea level but not the tallest from base to peak. That title belongs to Mauna Kea in Hawaii, which rises 33,500 feet from its underwater base. Everest is also not the farthest point from Earth's center. Mount Chimborazo in Ecuador holds that record because Earth bulges at the equator.
A Spider Lives Higher Than Any Climber Camps
The Himalayan jumping spider lives permanently at 22,000 feet on Everest. Its Latin name means "highest of all." These tiny spiders survive by eating insects that wind carries up the mountain and hide in rock crevices to escape freezing temperatures.
One Man Has Stood on Top 31 Times
Kami Rita Sherpa reached the summit for the 31st time in May 2025. He first climbed Everest in 1994 at age 24. In 2019, he summited twice in one week. He comes from the same village as Tenzing Norgay, who made the first successful ascent with Edmund Hillary in 1953.
The Traffic Jam at 29,000 Feet
Nepal issued a record 479 climbing permits in 2023, creating dangerous crowding. Hundreds of climbers share the same narrow route, waiting hours in freezing conditions at extreme altitude. The summit ridge is so narrow that climbers pass single file with thousand foot drops on both sides.
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Historical Analysis
⚡Historical Significance
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The discovery of marine fossils on Everest's summit in 1924 provided critical evidence for the theory of plate tectonics, proving that entire ocean floors could be lifted miles into the sky.
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Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay's 1953 first ascent represented one of the last great exploration milestones and inspired decades of high altitude mountaineering.
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The geological history of Everest spanning 450 million years reveals that the highest point on Earth was once among the lowest, fundamentally changing how we understand planetary surfaces.
📝Critical Reception
- •
Scientists initially doubted that life could exist at extreme altitudes on Everest until the discovery of permanent jumping spider populations at 22,000 feet rewrote biological limits.
- •
The 2020 joint survey by China and Nepal using GPS technology settled decades of debate about Everest's exact height at 29,032 feet.
- •
Recent geological research on river capture events revealed that Everest grows faster than tectonic forces alone can explain, adding a new chapter to our understanding of mountain formation.
🌍Cultural Impact
- •
Mount Everest transformed from a sacred Himalayan peak known as Chomolungma into a global symbol of human ambition and the ultimate test of physical endurance.
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The commercialization of Everest climbing created a multimillion dollar industry in Nepal while raising serious questions about overcrowding and environmental damage at extreme altitude.
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Sherpa culture gained worldwide recognition through Everest climbing, with figures like Kami Rita Sherpa and Tenzing Norgay becoming symbols of extraordinary human capability.
Before & After
📅Before
Before the 1924 discovery of marine fossils near Everest's summit, scientists had no physical proof that ocean floors could be pushed miles into the sky. The mountain was considered an unchanging geological feature that had always existed in its current form. Climbing it was considered impossible.
🚀After
Today Everest is understood as a dynamic and still growing mountain formed from ancient ocean floor, with fossils proving that plate tectonics can transform seabeds into the highest peaks on Earth. Over 6,000 people have reached its summit, and the mountain has become both a symbol of human achievement and a cautionary tale about overcrowding in extreme environments.
💡
Did You Know?
•
The summit rock of Everest contains 450 million year old fossils of sea creatures
•
Kami Rita Sherpa has reached the summit 31 times, more than any person in history
•
A tiny jumping spider lives permanently at 22,000 feet, the highest resident animal on Earth
•
Everest is not the tallest mountain from base to peak, that title goes to Mauna Kea
•
The mountain grows about two millimeters taller each year from tectonic plate movement
•
Nepal issued a record 479 climbing permits in a single year creating dangerous overcrowding
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Why It Still Matters Today
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Everest continues growing about two millimeters each year, reminding us that the planet's surface is constantly reshaping itself through forces we cannot control
•
The overcrowding crisis on Everest reflects broader tensions between tourism economies and environmental preservation in fragile ecosystems
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Marine fossils at the summit serve as a powerful teaching tool about plate tectonics and the immense timescales of geological change
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Kami Rita Sherpa's 31 summits highlight the extraordinary capabilities of Sherpa climbers who make most Everest expeditions possible
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The Himalayan jumping spider's survival at 22,000 feet expands our understanding of where life can thrive in extreme conditions
🧠
Test Your Knowledge
How much do you know? Take this quick quiz to find out!
1. What type of rock makes up the summit of Mount Everest?
2. Which mountain is actually the tallest from base to peak?
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Original Insights
•
Everest's summit is literally made of ancient sea floor, meaning the highest point on Earth was once among the deepest points in an ocean 450 million years ago
•
A river capture event 89,000 years ago may have added 50 to 165 extra feet to Everest's height through geological rebound, making it taller than plate tectonics alone would predict
•
Mount Chimborazo in Ecuador is actually farther from Earth's center than Everest because our planet bulges at the equator, challenging the notion that Everest is the absolute highest point
•
The Himalayan jumping spider named omnisuperstes meaning highest of all lives permanently higher than most human base camps and survives on insects blown upward by wind
Frequently Asked Questions
Mount Everest stands 29,032 feet (8,849 meters) above sea level. China and Nepal jointly confirmed this official measurement in 2020 using GPS satellite technology. The mountain grows about two millimeters taller each year due to ongoing tectonic plate movement.
This article is reviewed by the Pagefacts team.
Editorial Approach:
This article reveals the mind blowing truth that Everest's summit is made of ancient ocean floor packed with marine fossils, explores why the mountain keeps growing faster than expected, and highlights surprising facts like the jumping spider that lives higher than most climbers ever reach.
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