RGSL team in expedition to assess the health of Mount Everest glaciers
Fantastic mountain scenery,
including Mount Everest (8,848 m; 29,028 ft),
at the head of the Khumbu Glacier.
Coinciding with the 50th anniversary of the first ascent of the world’s highest mountain, Mount Everest (8,848 m; 29,028 ft), RGSL staff have continued to focus on the impact of climatic change on the health of glaciers in the region, and the implications for the development of glacial hazards.
Dr Shaun Richardson (Principal Glaciologist) and Duncan Quincey (KTP Associate) recently returned from a joint field expedition to Nepal with renowned glaciologists Professor Mike Hambrey and Dr Neil Glasser. This latest field visit, in April/May this year, was part of a collaborative 3-year Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP) research project between RGSL and the Centre for Glaciology, University of Wales, Aberystwyth to develop remote sensing techniques for hazard assessment - download an information sheet for details [265k pdf].
Collecting surface measurements, Imja Glacier, with the 3-km high headwall of Lhotse (8,501 m) behind.
Professor Hambrey was particularly upbeat about the venture, stating: “[RGSL], already world leaders in managing glacial hazards, are enthused by this collaboration as it boosts the remote sensing experience within the company. This means that the company will be able to monitor hazardous changes to glaciers in remote areas that are difficult to access”.
The team began their journey on 24th April from Manchester, arriving in the remote village of Lukla two days later on a light aircraft from Kathmandu. This was the beginning of a nine day trek to the Khumbu glacier. The team crossed deep gorges by wire suspension bridges and followed winding tracks through stunning high-mountain scenery and small farming villages that provided basic lodges for accommodation. On 4th may, the team members arrived at the Khumbu Glacier, which descends from Everest itself, first through the Western Cwm, and then through the treacherous Khumbu icefall into the debris-covered tongue of the glacier. Here, the team stayed for seven days, collecting measurements on the form and processes of the glacier.
The popular peak of Kala Pattar (5,545 m; 18,100 ft) was the team’s highest point, where they were rewarded with the classic view of Everest, as well as being able to map some of the more inaccessible parts of the glacier and its surrounding environment.
A two-day walk brought the group to the second of their main study sites, Imja Glacier and Lake, nestling beneath the spectacular 3 km-high face of Lhotse (8,501 m), the largest rock headwall in the world. Ten days were spent here taking measurements around the glacier and the lake, which is particularly interesting because of its appearance and rapid expansion over the last 20 years. Unstable debris now dams the lake-filled basin, prompting fears that it could burst catastrophically.
The trip ended with a 3-day trek back to Lukla, with the celebrations for the 50th anniversary of the ascent of Everest now in full swing. Various famous ‘summiteers’ and hundreds of mountain enthusiasts were making their way to Everest base camp at this time, swelling lodges and providing a welcome economic boost for a country badly affected by Maoist terrorists in recent years.
Overall, the team collected a vast amount of data that will be processed over the next 18 months to further our understanding of how glaciers are responding to modern climatic changes.
