South Col Glacier is Melting Fast

South Col Glacier is Melting Fast

Question: South Col Glacier is related to which of the following mountain peak?
a) Kangchenjunga
b) Lhotse
c) Manaslu
d) Mount Everest
Answer: (d)
Related Facts:-

  • According to a recent research report, South Col Glacier on Mount Everest is melting quickly than ever before.
  • Researchers led by the University of Maine found that it has lost more than 180ft (54m) of thickness in the last 25 years.
  • It should be known that the South Col Glacier sits around 7,906m (25,938 ft) above sea-level.
  • Researchers say that it is thinning 80 times faster than it first took the ice to form on the surface.
  • The rate of decline has been blamed on warming temperatures and strong winds.
  • Scientists leading the study found that since the 1990s, ice that took around 2,000 years to form has melted away.
  • They also noted that the glacier’s thick snowpack has been eroded, exposing the underlying black ice to the sun and accelerating the melting process.
  • Dr Mariusz Potocki, one of the study’s lead researchers, said that the findings suggested that the South Col Glacier may vanish completely.
  • There will be more bedrock exposed. Compared to the thick ice covering it, this bedrock is tough to ascend.
  • According to the report, the melting of Mount Everest’s glacier will have negative climate consequences in India and other Himalayan countries.
  • It is expected to impact the monsoon significantly, and Avalanches are expected to become more frequent. More water sources are expected to go dry.

By Rajesh Tripathi

Links:-
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-60259427