Can the world's highest mountain be moved in any way? The 7.8-magnitude quake that rocked Nepal and other nearby countries last April reportedly accomplished this remarkable feat.
Recent findings by Beijing's National Administration of Surveying, Mapping and Geoinformation showed that Mt. Everest in Nepal, known to the Chinese as Qomolangma, shifted three centimeters (1.2 inches) to the southwest after the powerful quake two months ago.
The findings, which was reported by state-run newspaper China Daily, also showed that this was the first time Mt. Everest moved to the southwest in the past decade.
The world's highest peak has moved 40 centimeters northeast in the past 10 years, at an average rate of 4 centimeters a year. The mountain also rose 3cm over the past decade.
The second quake that hit Nepal last May 12, which measured magnitude 7.5 in the Richter scale, did not move the mountain either horizontally or vertically, according to the Chinese agency.
Both quakes also did not affect the height of Mount Everest. The mountain, which straddles China and Nepal, stands at 8,848 meters (29,029 feet)—the highest elevation in the world.
Seismologists earlier predicted a horizontal shift for Mount Everest following the powerful earthquakes, but ruled out any change in the landform's height.
The European Space Agency also released satellite data last month showing how Mount Everest shrunk by almost exactly an inch (2.5cm) due to the Nepal quake.
The two earthquakes that hit Nepal over the past two months have left a death toll of over 8,700 people, and thousands more without shelters.
The fatalities include 18 people who were caught in an avalanche on Everest triggered by the earthquake. The climbing base camp on the mountain was also completely damaged after the powerful quake.
China and Nepal have since cancelled all scheduled climbs to Mount Everest.
