Machupuchare in the Annapurna Range of the Himalaya in central
Nepal is a mountain influenced by monsoons. Click on image for
full size Courtesy of Kip Hodges Storms Shaped the Himalayan
Mountains News story originally written on November 9, 2008 Rain
is important for many reasons. It waters plants and allows
animals to drink. It fills rivers and lakes. But did you know
that it can affect mountains too? Scientists have found evidence
that strong storms shaped the Himalayan Mountains over millions
of years. The Himalayan Mountains are in Asia, where winds blow
that carry moist air. These moist winds make monsoons, big
storms that have lots of rain. There’s evidence that the
monsoons have happened for at least 24 million years. But the
storms have not always been the same. Sometimes monsoons were
very big and other times they were smaller storms. To figure out
how the monsoons have changed high in the Himalayas, scientists
looked to the bottom of the ocean. They studied layers of
sediments from the seafloor. Th