Grows better in warmer climes (image: Stephen Sharnoff/NGS)
IS IT just a coincidence that all the world’s tallest mountain ranges lie at low latitudes? Apparently not, as it seems warmer climates enhance mountain growth.
Three things control how high a mountain range is likely to grow: the strength of the underlying crust, the magnitude of tectonic forces pushing upwards, and the amount of erosion wearing the mountains down. All of the world’s highest ranges have strong underlying crust, but until now it wasn’t clear whether the world’s tallest peaks were dominated by strong uplift or minimal erosion.
Using satellite images, …
