Why Are There Marine Fossils at the Top of Mount Everest?

The episode provides a detailed geological overview explaining the presence of marine fossils, such as crinoids and trilobites, near the summit of Mount Everest, which is the highest point on Earth. It clarifies that these fossils are compelling evidence of plate tectonics, specifically the immense collision that occurred between the Indian and Eurasian plates beginning around 55–50 million years ago. The text traces the history of the rocks from when they were deposited on the floor of the Tethys Ocean hundreds of millions of years ago to their eventual uplift and stacking into the Tethyan Himalaya Sedimentary Series that caps Everest. Furthermore, the source debunks common misconceptions, asserting that the evidence supports gradual geological processes over deep time rather than catastrophic events.