Mount Everest Shifted 1 Inch Southwest After Nepal Earthquake

Mount Everest Shifted 1 Inch Southwest After Nepal Earthquake

KATHMANDU, Nepal, June 16 (UPI) — The world’s highest mountain shifted slightly after the deadly 7.8-magnitude earthquake that struck Nepal in April, Chinese officials reported Tuesday.

A geological survey conducted by the Chinese government found that Mount Everest moved 1.2 inches (3 centimeters) southwest after the April 25 quake, which killed more than 8,000 people.

Eighteen people died when the quake triggered an avalanche on Mount Everest.

Officials said the quake did not affect the height of the 29,029-foot peak.

Mount Everest has been moving four centimeters each year since 2005, when the Chinese government began monitoring the mountain by satellite.