IN APRIL 2015, A 7.8-MAGNITUDE EARTHQUAKE rocked Nepal. The quake destroyed buildings and claimed lives, but it also reshaped the region's geology. It was large enough to cause many Himalayan peaks to drop slightly—including the world's tallest mountain.
When satellites passed over Mount Everest, early readings suggested its peak appeared to have lost an inch. However, the initial measurements aren't quite accurate enough to know what actually happened—an inch isn't a lot on more than 29,000 feet of rock. Since the quake, the true height of Everest has been a topic of discussion in the scientific community. Now Nepal's Survey Department is about to try to end those arguments by sending a specially trained team up to the summit to get a final, Nepal-approved height and quash rumors that the pride of the nation may have lost a little of its stature.
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