71-1842: Legend： 1： Mount Everest , 2： Kangchenjunga , 3： Lhotse , 4： Yalung Kang, Kanchenjunga West , 5： Makalu , 6： Kangchenjunga South , 7： Kangchenjunga Central , 8： Cho Oyu , 9： Dhaulagiri , 10： Manaslu (Kutang) , 11： Nanga Parbat (Diamer) , 12： Annapurna , 13： Shishapangma (Shishasbangma, Xixiabangma) , 14： Manaslu East , 15： Annapurna East Peak , 16： Gyachung Kang , 17： Annapurna II , 18： Tenzing Peak (Ngojumba Kang, Ngozumpa Kang, Ngojumba Ri) , 19： Kangbachen , 20： Himalchuli (Himal Chuli) , 21： Ngadi Chuli (Peak 29, Dakura, Dakum, Dunapurna) , 22： Nuptse (Nubtse) , 23： Nanda Devi , 24： Chomo Lonzo (Chomolonzo, Chomolönzo, Chomo Lönzo, Jomolönzo, Lhamalangcho) , 25： Namcha Barwa (Namchabarwa) , 26： Zemu Kang (Zemu Gap Peak) , 27： Kamet , 28： Dhaulagiri II , 29： Ngojumba Kang II , 30： Dhaulagiri III , 31： Kumbhakarna Mountain (Mount Kumbhakarna, Jannu) , 32： Gurla Mandhata (Naimona'nyi, Namu Nan) , 33： Hillary Peak (Ngojumba Kang III) , 34： Molamenqing (Phola Gangchen) , 35： Dhaulagiri IV , 36： Annapurna Fang , 37： Silver Crag , 38： Kangbachen Southwest , 39： Gangkhar Puensum (Gangkar Punsum) , 40： Annapurna III , 41： Himalchuli West , 42： Annapurna IV , 43： Kula Kangri , 44： Liankang Kangri (Gangkhar Puensum North, Liangkang Kangri) , 45： Ngadi Chuli South The Dhaulagiri massif in Nepal extends 120 km (70 mi) from
142-663: A belt of Late Oligocene – Miocene intrusive rocks known as the Higher Himalayan leucogranite. They formed as the result of partial melting of Paleoproterozoic to Ordovician high-grade metasedimentary rocks of the Higher Himalayan Sequence about 20 to 24 million years ago during the subduction of the Indian Plate. Mount Everest consists of sedimentary and metamorphic rocks that have been faulted southward over continental crust composed of Archean granulites of
213-557: A distinctive yellowish brown, and muscovite - biotite phyllite and semischist . Petrographic analysis of marble collected from about 8,300 m (27,200 ft) found it to consist as much as five per cent of the ghosts of recrystallised crinoid ossicles. The upper five metres of the Yellow Band lying adjacent to the Qomolangma Detachment is badly deformed. A 5–40 cm (2.0–15.7 in) thick fault breccia separates it from
284-622: A feat accomplished by Tim Macartney-Snape's team in 1990. Climbers usually begin their ascent from base camps above 5,000 m (16,404 ft). The amount of elevation climbed from below these camps varies. On the Tibetan side, most climbers drive directly to the North Base Camp . On the Nepalese side, climbers generally fly into Kathmandu , then Lukla , and trek to the South Base Camp , making
355-583: A native name for the mountain was Gaurishankar , a mountain between Kathmandu and Everest. In 1802, the British began the Great Trigonometrical Survey of India to fix the locations, heights, and names of the world's highest mountains. Starting in southern India, the survey teams moved northward using giant theodolites , each weighing 500 kg (1,100 lb) and requiring 12 men to carry, to measure heights as accurately as possible. They reached
426-566: A new weather station at about 8,000 m (26,000 ft) elevation went online. The project was orchestrated by Stations at High Altitude for Research on the Environment (SHARE), which also placed the Mount Everest webcam in 2011. The solar-powered weather station is on the South Col . Mount Everest extends into the upper troposphere and penetrates the stratosphere . The air pressure at
497-609: A peak in Nepal after Elizabeth Hawley having made a solo first ascent of Peak Hawley (6,182 meters) in the Dhaulagiri Group on 9 May 2008. In 2014, the Nepalese State officially confirmed the naming of Peak Hawley . She was the honorary consul in Nepal for New Zealand for 20 years up until her retirement in 2010, for which she received the Queen's Service Medal in 2004. She
568-419: A reference, and/or with a substantial contribution to the development of geological sciences through history." There is very little native flora or fauna on Everest. A type of moss grows at 6,480 metres (21,260 ft) on Mount Everest and it may be the highest altitude plant species. An alpine cushion plant called Arenaria is known to grow below 5,500 metres (18,000 ft) in the region. According to
639-406: A ridge extending south from Junction Peak. The British Alpine Club's Himalayan Index lists 37 more peaks over 6,000 m. 6,182m Pota Himal (FinnMap sheet 2883-01 "Chhedhul Gumba") stands north of the main ridge between Churen and Putha Hiunchuli. Pota has been informally renamed Peak Hawley after Elizabeth Hawley , a notable expedition chronicler and Kathmandu-based reporter. Hiunchuli Patan at
710-438: A sequence of high-grade metamorphic and granitic rocks that were derived from the alteration of high-grade metasedimentary rocks. During the collision of India with Asia, these rocks were thrust downward and to the north as they were overridden by other strata; heated, metamorphosed, and partially melted at depths of over 15 to 20 kilometres (9.3 to 12.4 mi) below sea level; and then forced upward to surface by thrusting towards
781-410: A survey official back to Terai to make closer observations of peak "b", but clouds thwarted his attempts. In 1849, Waugh dispatched James Nicolson to the area, who made two observations from Jirol, 190 km (120 mi) away. Nicolson then took the largest theodolite and headed east, obtaining over 30 observations from five different locations, with the closest being 174 km (108 mi) from
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#1732876394440852-636: Is Earth's highest mountain above sea level , located in the Mahalangur Himal sub-range of the Himalayas . The China–Nepal border runs across its summit point . Its elevation (snow height) of 8,848.86 m (29,031 ft 8 + 1 ⁄ 2 in) was most recently established in 2020 by the Chinese and Nepali authorities. Mount Everest attracts many climbers, including highly experienced mountaineers. There are two main climbing routes, one approaching
923-413: Is Sagarmāthā ( IAST transcription) or Sagar-Matha (सगर-माथा, [sʌɡʌrmatʰa] , lit. "goddess of the sky" ), which means "the head in the great blue sky", being derived from सगर (sagar), meaning "sky", and माथा (māthā), meaning "head". The Tibetan name for Everest is Qomolangma ( ཇོ་མོ་གླང་མ , lit. "holy mother"). The name was first recorded (in a Chinese transcription) in
994-417: Is despite Chimborazo having a peak of 6,268 m (20,564.3 ft) above sea level versus Mount Everest's 8,848 m (29,028.9 ft). Nearby peaks include Lhotse , 8,516 m (27,940 ft); Nuptse , 7,855 m (25,771 ft), and Changtse , 7,580 m (24,870 ft) among others. Another nearby peak is Khumbutse , and many of the highest mountains in the world are near Mount Everest. On
1065-483: Is so high the jet stream can hit it. Climbers can be faced with winds beyond 320 km/h (200 mph) when the weather shifts. At certain times of the year the jet stream shifts north, providing periods of relative calm at the mountain. Other dangers include blizzards and avalanches. In 1885, Clinton Thomas Dent , president of the Alpine Club , suggested that climbing Mount Everest was possible in his book Above
1136-456: Is taller than Everest as well. Despite its height above sea level of only 6,190 m (20,308 ft), Denali sits atop a sloping plain with elevations from 300 to 900 m (980 to 2,950 ft), yielding a height above base in the range of 5,300 to 5,900 m (17,400 to 19,400 ft); a commonly quoted figure is 5,600 m (18,400 ft). By comparison, reasonable base elevations for Everest range from 4,200 m (13,800 ft) on
1207-579: Is the point at which Earth's surface reaches the greatest distance above sea level . Several other mountains are sometimes claimed to be the "tallest mountains on Earth". Mauna Kea in Hawaii is tallest when measured from its base; it rises over 10,200 m (33,464.6 ft) from its base on the mid-ocean floor, but only attains 4,205 m (13,796 ft) above sea level. By the same measure of base to summit, Denali , in Alaska , formerly known as Mount McKinley,
1278-500: Is widely quoted. Geoid uncertainty casts doubt upon the accuracy claimed by both the 1999 and 2005 (see § 21st-century surveys ) surveys. In 1955, a detailed photogrammetric map (at a scale of 1:50,000) of the Khumbu region, including the south side of Mount Everest, was made by Erwin Schneider as part of the 1955 International Himalayan Expedition, which also attempted Lhotse . In
1349-448: The Great Trigonometrical Survey . From 1952 to 1954, the Survey of India , using triangulation methods, determined that the height of Everest was 8,847.73 m (29,028 ft). In 1975 it was subsequently reaffirmed by a Chinese measurement of 8,848.13 m (29,029.30 ft). In both cases the snow cap, not the rock head, was measured. The 8,848 m (29,029 ft) height given
1420-877: The Kaligandaki River west to the Bheri . This massif is bounded on the north and southwest by tributaries of the Bheri River and on the southeast by the Myagdi Khola . The range lies 40 miles (65 km) northwest of Annapurna and is located in Myagdi District of Nepal. Dhaulagiri (धौलागिरी) is the Nepali name for the mountain which comes from Sanskrit where धवल (dhawala) means dazzling, white, beautiful and गिरि (giri) means mountain. Despite deriving its name from Dhaulagiri I, which stands alone immediately due east of 5,355m French Pass,
1491-458: The North Col , the 1922 expedition pushed the north ridge route up to 8,320 m (27,300 ft), marking the first time a human had climbed above 8,000 m (26,247 ft). The 1924 expedition resulted in one of the greatest mysteries on Everest to this day: George Mallory and Andrew Irvine made a final summit attempt on 8 June but never returned, sparking debate as to whether they were
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#17328763944401562-525: The South Col at 7,920 metres (25,980 ft) and yellow-billed choughs have been seen as high as 7,900 metres (26,000 ft). Yaks are often used to haul gear for Mount Everest climbs. They can haul around 100 kg (220 pounds), have thick fur and large lungs. Other animals in the region include the Himalayan tahr , which is sometimes the prey of the snow leopard . The Himalayan black bear can be found up to about 4,300 metres (14,000 ft) and
1633-495: The convergent boundary between the Eurasian Plate and Indian Plate , are adding to the height and moving the summit northeastwards. Two accounts suggest the rates of change are 4 mm (0.16 in) per year vertically and 3 to 6 mm (0.12 to 0.24 in) per year horizontally, but another account mentions more lateral movement (27 mm or 1.1 in), and even shrinkage has been suggested. The summit of Everest
1704-473: The red panda is also present in the region. One expedition found a surprising range of species in the region including a pika and ten new species of ants. Mount Everest has an ice cap climate (Köppen EF ) with all months averaging well below freezing. The base camp for Everest expeditions based out of Nepal is located by Khumbu Glacier , which is rapidly thinning and destabilizing due to climate change , making it unsafe for climbers. As recommended by
1775-787: The 1721 Kangxi Atlas, issued during the reign of Qing Emperor Kangxi ; it first appeared in the West in 1733 as Tchoumour Lancma , on a map prepared by the French geographer D'Anville and based on Kangxi Atlas. The Tibetan name is also popularly romanised as Chomolungma and (in Wylie ) as Jo-mo-glang-ma . The official Chinese transcription is 珠穆朗玛峰 ( t 珠穆朗瑪峰 ), or Zhūmùlǎngmǎ Fēng in pinyin . While other Chinese names have been used historically, including Shèngmǔ Fēng ( t 聖母峰 , s 圣母峰 , lit. "holy mother peak"), these names were largely phased out after
1846-624: The 1960s onwards (she did not chronicle the Karakoram Himalaya such as K2 or Nanga Parbat ), and was respected by the international mountaineering community because of the accuracy of her records, and the tenacity of her investigations; winning her the nickname "The Sherlock Holmes of the Mountaineering World". Italian climber Reinhold Messner told Outside , "If I need information about climbing 8,000-meter peaks, I go to her". Sir Edmund Hillary , one of her closest friends (she
1917-404: The 1963 American Everest expedition that traversed Mount Everest . Her article on the death of the Nepalese prime minister made the front page of The New York Times . She socialized regularly with royalty and senior politicians in Nepal, on whom she reported for US media. While she never climbed a mountain herself, Hawley was the best-known chronicler of Nepalese Himalayan expeditions from
1988-622: The British continued the survey and began detailed observations of the Himalayan peaks from observation stations up to 240 km (150 mi) distant. Weather restricted work to the last three months of the year. In November 1847, Andrew Scott Waugh , the British Surveyor General of India , made several observations from the Sawajpore station at the east end of the Himalayas. Kangchenjunga
2059-504: The Chinese Ministry of Internal Affairs issued a decree to adopt a sole name in May 1952. The British geographic survey of 1849 attempted to preserve local names when possible (e.g., Kangchenjunga and Dhaulagiri .) However, Andrew Waugh , the British Surveyor General of India , claimed that he could not find a commonly used local name, and that his search for one had been hampered by
2130-2107: The Finnmap. The first ascent data is from Neate, but it is unclear if the first ascent of Churen Himal East was actually an ascent of the highest of the three peaks, as Neate lists Churen Himal Central as a 7,320 m subpeak of Churen Himal East. Mount Everest Legend： 1： Mount Everest , 2： Kangchenjunga , 3： Lhotse , 4： Yalung Kang, Kanchenjunga West , 5： Makalu , 6： Kangchenjunga South , 7： Kangchenjunga Central , 8： Cho Oyu , 9： Dhaulagiri , 10： Manaslu (Kutang) , 11： Nanga Parbat (Diamer) , 12： Annapurna , 13： Shishapangma (Shishasbangma, Xixiabangma) , 14： Manaslu East , 15： Annapurna East Peak , 16： Gyachung Kang , 17： Annapurna II , 18： Tenzing Peak (Ngojumba Kang, Ngozumpa Kang, Ngojumba Ri) , 19： Kangbachen , 20： Himalchuli (Himal Chuli) , 21： Ngadi Chuli (Peak 29, Dakura, Dakum, Dunapurna) , 22： Nuptse (Nubtse) , 23： Nanda Devi , 24： Chomo Lonzo (Chomolonzo, Chomolönzo, Chomo Lönzo, Jomolönzo, Lhamalangcho) , 25： Namcha Barwa (Namchabarwa) , 26： Zemu Kang (Zemu Gap Peak) , 27： Kamet , 28： Dhaulagiri II , 29： Ngojumba Kang II , 30： Dhaulagiri III , 31： Kumbhakarna Mountain (Mount Kumbhakarna, Jannu) , 32： Gurla Mandhata (Naimona'nyi, Namu Nan) , 33： Hillary Peak (Ngojumba Kang III) , 34： Molamenqing (Phola Gangchen) , 35： Dhaulagiri IV , 36： Annapurna Fang , 37： Silver Crag , 38： Kangbachen Southwest , 39： Gangkhar Puensum (Gangkar Punsum) , 40： Annapurna III , 41： Himalchuli West , 42： Annapurna IV , 43： Kula Kangri , 44： Liankang Kangri (Gangkhar Puensum North, Liangkang Kangri) , 45： Ngadi Chuli South Mount Everest , known locally as Sagarmatha or Qomolangma ,
2201-587: The Himalayan foothills by the 1830s, but Nepal was unwilling to allow the British to enter the country due to suspicions of their intentions. Several requests by the surveyors to enter Nepal were denied. The British were forced to continue their observations from Terai , a region south of Nepal which is parallel to the Himalayas. Conditions in Terai were difficult because of torrential rains and malaria . Three survey officers died from malaria while two others had to retire because of failing health. Nonetheless, in 1847,
Dhaulagiri (mountain range) - Misplaced Pages Continue
2272-577: The Indian Plate during the Cenozoic collision of India with Asia . Current interpretations argue that the Qomolangma and North Col formations consist of marine sediments that accumulated within the continental shelf of the northern passive continental margin of India before it collided with Asia. The Cenozoic collision of India with Asia subsequently deformed and metamorphosed these strata as it thrust them southward and upward. The Rongbuk Formation consists of
2343-590: The Nepalese and Tibetan policy of exclusion of foreigners. Waugh argued that – because there were many local names – it would be difficult to favour one name over all others; he therefore decided that Peak XV should be named after British surveyor Sir George Everest , his predecessor as Surveyor General of India. Everest himself opposed the honor, and told the Royal Geographical Society in 1857 that "Everest" could neither be written in Hindi nor pronounced by "
2414-594: The North Col Formation is a regional low-angle normal fault called the "Lhotse detachment". Below 7,000 m (23,000 ft), the Rongbuk Formation underlies the North Col Formation and forms the base of Mount Everest. It consists of sillimanite - K-feldspar grade schist and gneiss intruded by numerous sills and dikes of leucogranite ranging in thickness from 1 cm to 1,500 m (0.4 in to 4,900 ft). These leucogranites are part of
2485-582: The Snow Line . Elizabeth Hawley Elizabeth Hawley (9 November 1923 – 26 January 2018) was an American journalist , author, and chronicler of Himalayan mountaineering expeditions. Hawley's The Himalayan Database became the unofficial record for climbs in the Nepalese Himalaya. She was also the honorary consul in Nepal for New Zealand. Hawley was born in Chicago , Illinois in 1923. She
2556-517: The air pressure further, reducing available oxygen by up to 14 percent. To avoid the harshest winds, climbers typically aim for a 7- to 10-day window in the spring and fall when the Asian monsoon season is starting up or ending. Mount Everest hosts several weather stations that collect important data on high-altitude weather conditions. Among them is the Balcony Station, the highest weather station on
2627-441: The climb from Lukla to the summit about 6,000 m (19,685 ft) in elevation gain. The first recorded efforts to reach Everest's summit were made by British mountaineers . As Nepal did not allow foreigners to enter the country at the time, the British made several attempts on the north ridge route from the Tibetan side. After the first reconnaissance expedition by the British in 1921 reached 7,000 m (22,970 ft) on
2698-532: The committee formed by Nepal's government to facilitate and monitor mountaineering in the Everest region, Taranath Adhikari—the director general of Nepal's tourism department—said they have plans to move the base camp to a lower altitude. This would mean a longer distance for climbers between the base camp and Camp 1. However, the present base camp is still useful and could still serve its purpose for three to four years. The move may happen by 2024, per officials. In 2008,
2769-512: The effort and attention poured into expeditions, only about 200 people had summited by 1987. Everest remained a difficult climb for decades, even for serious attempts by professional climbers and large national expeditions, which were the norm until the commercial era began in the 1990s. By March 2012, Everest had been climbed 5,656 times with 223 deaths. By 2013, The Himalayan Database recorded 6,871 summits by 4,042 different people. Although lower mountains have longer or steeper climbs, Everest
2840-463: The first to reach the top. Tenzing Norgay and Edmund Hillary made the first documented ascent of Everest in 1953 , using the southeast ridge route. Norgay had reached 8,595 m (28,199 ft) the previous year as a member of the 1952 Swiss expedition . The Chinese mountaineering team of Wang Fuzhou , Gonpo , and Qu Yinhua made the first reported ascent of the peak from the north ridge on 25 May 1960. Mount Everest's Nepali / Sanskrit name
2911-500: The late 1980s, an even more detailed topographic map of the Everest area was made under the direction of Bradford Washburn, using extensive aerial photography . On 9 October 2005, after several months of measurement and calculation, the Chinese Academy of Sciences and State Bureau of Surveying and Mapping announced the height of Everest as 8,844.43 m (29,017.16 ft) with accuracy of ±0.21 m (8.3 in), claiming it
Dhaulagiri (mountain range) - Misplaced Pages Continue
2982-407: The limestone from near the summit revealed them to be composed of carbonate pellets and finely fragmented remains of trilobites , crinoids, and ostracods . Other samples were so badly sheared and recrystallised that their original constituents could not be determined. A thick, white-weathering thrombolite bed that is 60 m (200 ft) thick comprises the foot of the " Third Step ", and base of
3053-438: The lower part of the North Col Formation consists of biotite-quartz schist intercalated with epidote-quartz schist, biotite-calcite-quartz schist, and thin layers of quartzose marble . These metamorphic rocks appear to be the result of the metamorphism of Middle to Early Cambrian deep sea flysch composed of interbedded, mudstone , shale , clayey sandstone , calcareous sandstone, graywacke , and sandy limestone. The base of
3124-493: The mountain and have not been removed due to the dangerous conditions. Climbers typically ascend only part of Mount Everest's elevation, as the mountain's full elevation is measured from the geoid , which approximates sea level . The closest sea to Mount Everest's summit is the Bay of Bengal , almost 700 km (430 mi) away. To approximate a climb of the entire height of Mount Everest, one would need to start from this coastline,
3195-422: The mountain was climbed in ancient times is unknown. It may have been climbed in 1924, although this has never been confirmed, as neither of the men making the attempt returned. Several climbing routes have been established over several decades of climbing expeditions to the mountain. Everest's summit is first known to have been reached by a human in 1953, and interest from climbers increased thereafter. Despite
3266-509: The native of India ". Despite Everest's objections, Waugh's proposed name prevailed, and the Royal Geographical Society officially adopted the name "Mount Everest" in 1865. The modern pronunciation of Everest ( / ˈ ɛ v ər ɪ s t / ) is different from Sir George's pronunciation of his surname ( / ˈ iː v r ɪ s t / EEV -rist ). In the late 19th century, many European cartographers incorrectly believed that
3337-508: The numbers, having to deal with the problems of light refraction, barometric pressure, and temperature over the vast distances of the observations. Finally, in March 1856 he announced his findings in a letter to his deputy in Calcutta . Kangchenjunga was declared to be 8,582 m (28,156 ft), while Peak XV was given the height of 8,840 m (29,002 ft). Waugh concluded that Peak XV
3408-528: The overlying Qomolangma Formation. The remainder of the North Col Formation, exposed between 7,000 to 8,200 m (23,000 to 26,900 ft) on Mount Everest, consists of interlayered and deformed schist, phyllite , and minor marble. Between 7,600 and 8,200 m (24,900 and 26,900 ft), the North Col Formation consists chiefly of biotite-quartz phyllite and chlorite-biotite phyllite intercalated with minor amounts of biotite- sericite -quartz schist. Between 7,000 and 7,600 m (23,000 and 24,900 ft),
3479-708: The peak. Nicolson retreated to Patna on the Ganges to perform the necessary calculations based on his observations. His raw data gave an average height of 9,200 m (30,200 ft) for peak "b", but this did not consider light refraction , which distorts heights. However, the number clearly indicated that peak "b" was higher than Kangchenjunga. Nicolson contracted malaria and was forced to return home without finishing his calculations. Michael Hennessy, one of Waugh's assistants, had begun designating peaks based on Roman numerals , with Kangchenjunga named Peak IX. Peak "b" now became known as Peak XV. In 1852, stationed at
3550-444: The planet, located at about 8,430 meters (27,657 feet) above sea level. Set up by climate scientists Tom Matthews and Baker Perry in 2019, this station is positioned just below the summit of Everest, which is the highest point on Earth. As of January 20, 2020, the Balcony Station ceased transmitting data. Because Mount Everest is the highest mountain in the world, it has attracted considerable attention and climbing attempts. Whether
3621-470: The rest of the Dhaulagiri Himal is a fully independent massif in its own right. The next-highest summit, Dhaulagiri II , is the 30th-highest mountain on Earth. Most of the named 7,000-metre peaks are on a ridge extending WNW. In order they are Dhaulagiris II, III, V, IV, Junction Peak, Churens East, Central and West, Putha Hiunchuli, and Hiunchuli Patan. False Junction Peak, Dhaulagiri VI and Gurja are on
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#17328763944403692-483: The snow height (8,848 m, Nepal). In 2010, both sides agreed that the height of Everest is 8,848 m, and Nepal recognises China's claim that the rock height of Everest is 8,844 m. On 8 December 2020, it was jointly announced by the two countries that the new official height is 8,848.86 metres (29,031.7 ft). It is thought that the plate tectonics of the Main Himalayan Thrust and related faults, which form
3763-752: The south between two major detachments. Mount Everest is rising by about 2 mm per year. In respect of the recognition of the "highest rocks on the planet" as fossiliferous, marine limestone, the Ordovician Rocks of Mount Everest were included by the International Union of Geological Sciences (IUGS) in its assemblage of 100 geological heritage sites around the world in a listing published in October 2022. The organisation defines an IUGS Geological Heritage Site as "a key place with geological elements and/or processes of international scientific relevance, used as
3834-564: The south side to 5,200 m (17,100 ft) on the Tibetan Plateau , yielding a height above base in the range of 3,650 to 4,650 m (11,980 to 15,260 ft). The summit of Chimborazo in Ecuador is 2,168 m (7,113 ft) farther from Earth's centre (6,384.4 km, 3,967.1 mi) than that of Everest (6,382.3 km, 3,965.8 mi), because the Earth bulges at the equator. This
3905-417: The southwest side, a major feature in the lower areas is the Khumbu icefall and glacier , an obstacle to climbers on those routes but also to the base camps. Geologists have subdivided the rocks comprising Mount Everest into three units called formations . Each formation is separated from the other by low-angle faults , called detachments , along which they have been thrust southward over each other. From
3976-541: The study based on satellite data from 1993 to 2018, vegetation is expanding in the Everest region. Researchers have found plants in areas that were previously deemed bare. A minute black jumping spider of the genus Euophrys has been found at elevations as high as 6,700 metres (22,000 ft), possibly making it the highest confirmed non-microscopic permanent resident on Earth. Another Euophrys species, E. everestensis , has been found at 5,030 metres (16,500 ft), and may feed on insects that have been blown there by
4047-509: The summit from the southeast in Nepal (known as the "standard route") and the other from the north in Tibet . While not posing substantial technical climbing challenges on the standard route, Everest presents dangers such as altitude sickness , weather, and wind, as well as hazards from avalanches and the Khumbu Icefall . As of May 2024, 340 people have died on Everest . Over 200 bodies remain on
4118-467: The summit is generally about one-third what it is at sea level. The altitude can expose the summit to the fast and freezing winds of the jet stream . Winds commonly attain 160 km/h (100 mph); in February 2004, a wind speed of 280 km/h (175 mph) was recorded at the summit. These winds can hamper or endanger climbers, by blowing them into chasms or (by Bernoulli's principle ) by lowering
4189-913: The summit of Mount Everest to its base these rock units are the Qomolangma Formation, the North Col Formation, and the Rongbuk Formation . The Qomolangma Formation, also known as the Jolmo Lungama Formation, runs from the summit to the top of the Yellow Band, about 8,600 m (28,200 ft) above sea level. It consists of greyish to dark grey or white, parallel laminated and bedded, Ordovician limestone interlayered with subordinate beds of recrystallised dolomite with argillaceous laminae and siltstone . Gansser first reported finding microscopic fragments of crinoids in this limestone . Later petrographic analysis of samples of
4260-447: The summit pyramid of Everest. This bed, which crops out starting about 70 m (230 ft) below the summit of Mount Everest, consists of sediments trapped, bound, and cemented by the biofilms of micro-organisms, especially cyanobacteria , in shallow marine waters. The Qomolangma Formation is broken up by several high-angle faults that terminate at the low angle normal fault , the Qomolangma Detachment. This detachment separates it from
4331-531: The survey headquarters in Dehradun , Radhanath Sikdar , an Indian mathematician and surveyor from Bengal was the first to identify Everest as the world's highest peak, using trigonometric calculations based on Nicolson's measurements. An official announcement that Peak XV was the highest was delayed for several years as the calculations were repeatedly verified. Waugh began work on Nicolson's data in 1854, and along with his staff spent almost two years working on
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#17328763944404402-485: The underlying Yellow Band. The lower five metres of the Qomolangma Formation overlying this detachment are very highly deformed. The bulk of Mount Everest, between 7,000 and 8,600 m (23,000 and 28,200 ft), consists of the North Col Formation, of which the Yellow Band forms the upper part between 8,200 to 8,600 m (26,900 to 28,200 ft). The Yellow Band consists of intercalated beds of Middle Cambrian diopside - epidote -bearing marble , which weathers
4473-581: The western end nearest the Bheri River is locally called Sisne or Murkatta Himal. It was an iconic landmark to insurgents based in Rukum and Rolpa districts during the 1996–2006 Nepal Civil War . † Only peaks above 7,200 m with more than 500 m (1,640.4 ft) of topographic prominence are ranked . ‡ The status of Churen Himal's three peaks is unclear and sources differ on their heights. The coordinates, heights and prominence values above are derived from
4544-403: The wind. There is a high likelihood of microscopic life at even higher altitudes. The bar-headed goose migrates over the Himalayas and have been seen flying at the higher altitudes of the mountain. In 1953, George Lowe (part of the expedition of Tenzing and Hillary) said that he saw bar-headed geese flying over Everest's summit. Another bird species, the chough , have been spotted as high as
4615-619: Was "most probably the highest in the world". Peak XV (measured in feet) was calculated to be exactly 29,000 ft (8,839.2 m) high, but was publicly declared to be 29,002 ft (8,839.8 m) in order to avoid the impression that an exact height of 29,000 feet (8,839.2 m) was nothing more than a rounded estimate. Waugh is sometimes playfully credited with being "the first person to put two feet on top of Mount Everest". In 1856, Andrew Waugh announced Everest (then known as Peak XV) as 8,840 m (29,002 ft) high, after several years of calculations based on observations made by
4686-582: Was also awarded the Swiss King Albert I Memorial Foundation Medal in 1998 for services to mountaineering, and was the first recipient of the Sagarmatha National Award from the Government of Nepal. The former American ambassador to Nepal, Peter Bodde , described Hawley as one of Nepal's "living treasures" and that "her contribution to the depth of knowledge and understanding between Nepal and
4757-677: Was an executive officer for Hillary's Himalayan Trust ), once called her "a bit of a terror". Hawley's detailed mountaineering records are summarized in The Himalayan Database , and have been used both as a record of successful ascents, and also of establishing success rates and fatality rates, for climbers in the Nepal Himalaya. Having a Himalayan ascent logged on Hawley's database became an essential requirement for mountaineers, which has led to many famous disputes, including: In 2008, French ice climber François Damilano named
4828-619: Was educated at the University of Michigan and graduated with an honours degree in English in 1946. Having visited Kathmandu on a round-the-world trip in 1957, Hawley moved to Nepal full-time in 1959, giving up her job as a researcher for Fortune magazine in New York. In 1960 she started as a journalist and correspondent for Time , but later moved to the Reuters news agency in 1962. She covered
4899-566: Was officially recognised by Nepal and China. Nepal planned a new survey in 2019 to determine if the April 2015 Nepal earthquake affected the height of the mountain. In May 1999, an American Everest expedition directed by Bradford Washburn anchored a GPS unit into the highest bedrock. A rock head elevation of 8,850 m (29,035 ft), and a snow/ice elevation 1 m (3 ft) higher, were obtained via this device. Although as of 2001, it has not been officially recognised by Nepal, this figure
4970-414: Was the most accurate and precise measurement to date. This height is based on the highest point of rock and not the snow and ice covering it. The Chinese team measured a snow-ice depth of 3.5 m (11 ft), which is in agreement with a net elevation of 8,848 m (29,029 ft). An argument arose between China and Nepal as to whether the official height should be the rock height (8,844 m, China) or
5041-436: Was then considered the highest peak in the world , and with interest, he noted a peak beyond it, about 230 km (140 mi) away. John Armstrong, one of Waugh's subordinates, also saw the peak from a site farther west and called it peak "b". Waugh would later write that the observations indicated that peak "b" was higher than Kangchenjunga, but closer observations were required for verification. The following year, Waugh sent
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