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A picture of Mount Qomolangma.
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Will the Himalaya Mountains, home to the world's highest peaks, continue to push up into the sky in future? Some Chinese scientists say no.
The Himalayas may have reached their highest altitude and in the centuries to come may even shrink a little, said Bian Qiantao, a researcher with the Institute of Geology and Geophysics of the Chinese Academy of Sciences.
Located on the southern rim of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, the Himalaya Mountains form an arc protruding southward. The main part of the range lies in China. "Himalaya" means "abode of snow" in Tibetan. The average height of these mountains is more than 6,000 metres.
Scientists believe that 65 million years ago, the Indian Plate moving north collided with the Eurasian Plate , and the upheaval saw the emergence of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau as well as the Himalayas.
"Friction between the tectonic plates continues to this day, gradually pushing the Himalayas upward," said Bian.
"But at the same time, a horizontal pulling power inside the lower continental crust and mantle of the earth counteracts this upward movement," said Bian.
According to measurements made by scientists in 2005, the altitude of Mount Qomolangma is 8844.43 metres, 3.70 metres lower than the figure obtained in 1975.
The result suggests that the Himalayas and the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau will not continue to move up indefinitely. After growing to a certain height, the effect of gravity and collision-generated extrusion will make them grow wider, but not higher, Bian said.
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擁有世界最高峰的喜馬拉雅山還將繼續“長高”嗎？我國一些科學家認為“不會”。
中科院地質與地球物理研究院的研究員邊千韜說，喜馬拉雅山已基本達到最高點，在未來幾個世紀內，甚至可能會有所下降。
喜馬拉雅山位於青藏高原南側，呈向南突出的弧形，山脈的主要部分位於中國境內。“喜馬拉雅”在藏語中是“冰雪之鄉”的意思。喜馬拉雅山的平均高度在6000米以上。
科學界普遍認為，青藏高原和喜馬拉雅山是6500萬年前向北漂移的印度板塊與歐亞板塊相撞而形成的。
邊教授說：“這兩個板塊之間的摩擦仍在繼續，在這種力量的作用下，喜馬拉雅山一直在慢慢升高。”
“但同時，從下地殼一直到地幔上部在產生一種東西拉張的力量，這種拉力對喜馬拉雅山的繼續升高起到了阻礙作用。”
2005年，科學家測出珠穆朗瑪峰的海拔為8844.43米，比1975年低3.7米。
測ce量liang結jie果guo表biao明ming，喜xi馬ma拉la雅ya山shan和he青qing藏zang高gao原yuan不bu會hui無wu限xian升sheng高gao。邊bian教jiao授shou說shuo，喜xi馬ma拉la雅ya山shan達da到dao一yi定ding高gao度du後hou，在zai重zhong力li和he由you板ban塊kuai碰peng撞zhuang產chan生sheng的de擠ji壓ya力li的de作zuo用yong下xia，山shan脈mai會hui向xiang外wai擴kuo展zhan，而er不bu會hui持chi續xu增zeng高gao。
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發布日期：2006-10-24 來源：China Daily
