Mountain Grown

Ask, Mar 2008 by Moss, Meg

My, my, haven't you grown! Yes, the Alps, Europe's major mountain range, are growing taller as the glaciers there melt away. Each year, 1.5 billion tons of ice melt off the mountains. As all that weight disappears, pressure from deep inside Earth pushes the ground up.

While the ice has been melting for about 150 years, the current effects of global warming have speeded it up. Of course, the mountains don't grow overnight; geologists estimate that in 50 years, some peaks will be 1.8 inches taller than they are now.