Mount Everest Sheds Frozen Cloak as Glaciers Rapidly Shrink

Is Mount Everest shrinking? Its glaciers certainly are. Researchers are taking a new look at the snow and ice covering the tallest mountain in the world, and have discovered that the peak is rapidly shedding its frozen cloak.

So exactly how fast are the glaciers shrinking in this region? Researchers have found that they have downsized by 13 percent in the last 50 years. In addition, the snowline has shifted upward by 590 feet, which could drastically impact the local ecosystem.

Yet these findings aren't necessarily surprising. Scientists have been studying temperature and precipitation trends in the Everest region for a while by analyzing hydro-meteorological data from the Nepal Climate Observatory stations. They've found that the Everest region has undergone a 1.08-degree Fahrenheit increase in temperature and a 3.9-inch decrease in precipitation since 1992. This means that the temperatures are getting warmer, and there's less snow to replenish melting ice.

In fact, during the course of their research, the scientists discovered not all glaciers were melting at the same rate. Glaciers that were smaller than one kilometer have experienced a 43 percent decrease in surface area since the 1960s. In addition, debris-covered sections, which are exposed as the ice melts, have increased by 17 percent since the 1960s. The ends of the glaciers have also retreated by an average of 1,300 feet.

Needless to say, the glaciers are experiencing quite a bit of melting. The warmer temperatures and lack of precipitation is actively encouraging their retreat--and the reason for this climate change could be due to greenhouse gases.

In their study, the researchers theorized that the decline of snow and ice in the region is due to humans. More specifically, they believe it's very likely that human-generated greenhouse gases have caused the climate to shift. However, they have not yet established a firm connection between the mountains' changes and climate change.

Now, the researchers hope to explore the climate-glacier relationship further. Eventually, they aim to integrate the glaciological, hydrological and climactic data to understand the behavior of the hydrological cycle and future water availability.

The findings will be presented at the May 14 Meeting of the Americas in Cancun, Mexico.