 Poster: A snowHead
|
The height of the world's highest mountain has been re-measured. As result of a recent expedition to the summit, and the installation of a GPS survey beacon, scientists have made what is considered to be the most accurate calculation to date. This figure discounts the depth of the snow cap, which varies from time to time and is reckoned to be up to 2m thick.
The Chinese government's new height for the mountain - 8844.43m - compares with the most recently published Chinese and Nepalese maps which indicate 8848m. A US and Nepalese expedition to the summit in 1999 resulted in a measurement of 8850m.
This report from MountEverest.net.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
|
Isn't it slowly rising (along with most of the Himalays) as the Indian continental plate collides with the Asian plate? Or is erosion faster than the uplifting? I preferred the old imperial version 29028 feet. Easier to remember. 
|
|
|
|
|
|
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
|
Ah, yes, Imperial measurement. Still going strong in the UK and US, at least in terms of road signs and suchlike. Canada seems to be keener on metric (are their road signs marked in km?). Kids in British schools are, as far as I know, taught nothing but metric. Our currency is metric. Fruit, veg and other food is now sold in kg or grammes.
But we still seem to be miles from completing the conversion.
The new height of Everest (taken as 8844.43m) is now 29017ft, based on rounding down a figure calculated by www.onlineconversion.com .
|
|
|
|
|
|
You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
|
So it's shrunk - or the early surveyors simply weren't as accurate as GPS and laser trickery.
OT metric/imperial. In Oman in the late 70s, we bought petrol in gallons but measured distances in kilometres. Bored on a long drive on desert tracks, I worked out the consumption of the 6.7 lt engined Dodge Charger. A gallon every 10 minutes !! Or ~ 10 mpg @ 60 mph. Thirsty brute.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
|
| kuwait_ian wrote: |
| So it's shrunk - or the early surveyors simply weren't as accurate as GPS and laser trickery. |
No, you were right first time. It's rising very slowly due to the Indian tectonic plate smashing into the European plate (which also caused this week's terrible earthquake in Pakistan). I think Everest is getting higher by about 5mm per year.
|
|
|
|
|
|
You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
|
I was watching a very interesting programme at the weekend about mountains and the Himalayas in particular.
The focus of the programme was that mountains sink as well as rise and this appears to be happening to the Tibetan Plateau which is the very high plateau situated behind the Himalayas. The theory goes something like when India crashed into the continent, as well as pushing the mountains up it also densified the rocks beneath - apparently mountains have a sort of root on them. The rocks beneath were so crushed that the root broke off and sank down into the molten rock beneath causing the Tibetan Plateau to 'bob' up fairly quickly in geological times (probably a good few hundred thousand years). They can tell this by looking at fossils and the type of plants that were living there during different periods. The problem now is that they believe the Tibetan Plateau is sinking back down. The Tibetan Plateau is where the Asian monsoon systems originate and so this obviously has consequences for the climate of the whole of Asia. Of course won't be a problem in our lifetime! This is also what has happened in Death Valley where the valley was once much much higher and in other locations around the world.
Of course I probably have mis-remembered some bits of this and I'm sure a geology expert will come along and put me right but this was the gist of it.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Quote: |
Our currency is metric. Fruit, veg and other food is now sold in kg or grammes.
But we still seem to be miles from completing the conversion.
|
Very funny David Goldsmith, 
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Cathy Coins wrote: |
| Of course I probably have mis-remembered some bits of this and I'm sure a geology expert will come along and put me right but this was the gist of it. |
I'm no expert, but it's called isostatic adjustment.
|
|
|
|
|
|
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
|
rob@rar.org.uk, so at least what I described is recognisable! Hurrah  I'll go and look that up now, thanks.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Oh dear - I always remembered the height of Everest as 29002', which appears to be the pre-1954 figure. I suppose this confirms our thoughts at the time that our schoolteachers were old fossils after all! One interesting factette I came across when checking this is that Everest is moving north-easterly at about 6cm per year. Isn't this rather a lot in geological terms?
rob@rar.org.uk, is that the same thing that's going on in the British Isles with Scotland rising and Southern England sinking, recovering after the melting of the ice-cap at the end of the last ice age?
|
|
|
|
|
|
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
|
GrahamN, yes, it can happen with glacial loading/unloading as well as maintain building and hot-spot volcanoes.
The Indian plate is moving north at about 9cm per year.
|
|
|
|
|
|
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
|
Imperial/Metric
Pity Commercial Pilots who have to work in...
Knots for speed
Nautical miles for long distances
Metres for short distances ie Visibility
Feet for Altitudes
Metric tonnes and litres for fuel
Gallons for water on board
Pounds of thrust
Pounds per square inch for wheel pressures
and I'm sure there's more I've missed out 
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
bucking bronco,
Yep, useless system, but it does help to be bi- in this respect..!!
|
|
|
|
|
|
You know it makes sense.
|
|
i thought the himalayas were once much higher than they are now and were considerably reduced in size due to erosion.. i seem to recall watching this on some program about the effect they have on tee regions weather..
|
|
|
|
|
|
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
|
|
You're probably thinking of a different range - as far as I know the Himalayas are very "young" mountains, and are still growing quite quickly. Alot of small, round-topped mountain ranges used to be tall scragly peaks (like the Himalayas).
|
|
|
|
|
|
Poster: A snowHead
|
but dont forget that even if its rising 5mm there is also a lot of weathering going on to limit the peaks hight increase
isostatic adjustment is taking place in the uk as well as many other places in the world, the northen tip is rising and the south coast falling as a rebound effect from the last ice age
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
FAQ
