Why is Mount Everest so tall? - Michele Koppes
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TEDEd Animation
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At 8,850 meters above sea level, Qomolangma, also known as Mount Everest, has the highest altitude on the planet. But how did this towering formation get so tall? Michele Koppes peers deep into our planet’s crust, where continental plates collide, to find the answer.
Additional Resources for you to Explore
Interested in knowing more about how all this information was discovered? Learn what a glaciologist does! The educator who wrote this lesson is also a TED Fellow and you can learn more about Michelle Koppes here: Fellows Friday with Michele Koppes.
Fascinated with plate tectonics and the formation of mountains due to tectonic plate collision? This article, Mount Everest Formed Because of India’s Relentless Push Against Asia, will provide more information. Tectonic Motion: Making the Himalayas is also a great resource about the shaping of the Himalayan Mountains. Then, visit the USGS and read: The Himalayas: Two continents collide. The Geological Society also has some great visuals on plate collisions. Visit their Plate Tectonics link and find out what a plate is, where there are plate margins, and find out more about the different types of plate boundaries.
How did Mount Everest get its name? Click here and find out a bit more. Now learn the 7 Things You Should Know About Mount Everest!
Thinking about how neat it would be to climb the world's highest peak? Read this article and find out more about some history behind the climbers and their fates. Finally, this awesome infographic complete with interviews and other audio will help you understand just what an Everest expedition is like: SCALING EVEREST from the Washington Post allows you to get some Mount Everest perspective. Scroll around the site and find out some unique facts about Mount Everest, and listen to some first person descriptions of what it is like to climb Mount Everest and what you might see along the way.
Find Plate Tectonics fascinating? Is it a challenge for you to visualize it? TED-Ed also has some lessons on plate tectonics:
The Pangaea Pop-up - Michael Molina
What happens when continents collide? - Juan D. Carrillo
Fascinated with plate tectonics and the formation of mountains due to tectonic plate collision? This article, Mount Everest Formed Because of India’s Relentless Push Against Asia, will provide more information. Tectonic Motion: Making the Himalayas is also a great resource about the shaping of the Himalayan Mountains. Then, visit the USGS and read: The Himalayas: Two continents collide. The Geological Society also has some great visuals on plate collisions. Visit their Plate Tectonics link and find out what a plate is, where there are plate margins, and find out more about the different types of plate boundaries.
How did Mount Everest get its name? Click here and find out a bit more. Now learn the 7 Things You Should Know About Mount Everest!
Thinking about how neat it would be to climb the world's highest peak? Read this article and find out more about some history behind the climbers and their fates. Finally, this awesome infographic complete with interviews and other audio will help you understand just what an Everest expedition is like: SCALING EVEREST from the Washington Post allows you to get some Mount Everest perspective. Scroll around the site and find out some unique facts about Mount Everest, and listen to some first person descriptions of what it is like to climb Mount Everest and what you might see along the way.
Find Plate Tectonics fascinating? Is it a challenge for you to visualize it? TED-Ed also has some lessons on plate tectonics:
The Pangaea Pop-up - Michael Molina
What happens when continents collide? - Juan D. Carrillo
About TED-Ed Animations
TED-Ed Animations feature the words and ideas of educators brought to life by professional animators. Are you an educator or animator interested in creating a TED-Ed Animation? Nominate yourself here »
Meet The Creators
- Educator Michele Koppes
- Script Editor Emma Bryce
- Director Iuri Araújo, Guilherme Araújo
- Animator Iuri Araújo, Guilherme Araújo
- Sound Designer Cem Misirlioglu
- Narrator Pen-Pen Chen
