Everest is shrinking due to global warming according to a report
issued today by China's Xinhua news agency and quoted on Arabia.com.
Apparently Chinese researchers have discovered that the thickness
of the snow on the summit of the world's highest peak has been
declining over the past 30 years, though researchers declined to say
exactly how much the snow cover has been reduced by - a sure sign, we
reckon, that they don't have the faintest idea.
Just to confuse the situation further, although Everest's official
height is 8848 m or 29,029 ft, the National Geographic Society now
says it's actually 29,035 feet, some six feet highter for those who
are numerically challenged. For more fascinating Everest anorak facts,
check out the everestnews.com
facts page.
Chinese experts apparently say that the temperature on the Tibetan
Plateau is rising at above the global average and has gone up by 0.8
degrees since 1950. They also claim that GPS surveys show that
Everest is moving 7-8 centimetres north west every year, so it should
be making an appearance in Kent some time soon.
OUTDOORSmagic would like to point out that this means Everest is,
in fact, moving, at a faster rate than many UK trains right
now...
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Mount Everest. moving faster than
this Railtrack train (below) and that's
despite the added weight of snow (melting) and poor
aerodynamics.
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'It's the wrong type of snow,'
say Railtrack
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