Whilst the majority of scientists (said to be some 97%) maintain that there is a clear evidence of climate-change underway, and effecting all manner of things (from temperatures to the growth of crops or decimation of grape vines, etc) to actually see what climate change has wrought isn't always that easy. Step up to the plate Mt Everest.
"I think we’re all still a little used to thinking of our Earth’s processes – including geology and climate change – as vague and temporally distant phenomena. But if you want to witness how they actually play out everyday, spend a couple of seasons on a glaciated mountain. On Everest, it’s as simple as this: Snow and ice are the glue that holds the route up the south col together. When that glue melts, things literally start to fall apart. And while scientists say global temperatures have risen .75 degrees C (1.4 degrees F) in the last century, studies show temperatures in the Himalaya have risen at a rate three times that.
The avalanche swept through the part of the route that is most prone to temperature-induced deterioration: the Khumbu Icefall. Even within a season on Everest, the route up the icefall is constantly being rearranged, as summer’s approach widens crevasses and breaks off big columns of ice called seracs. When it starts to look unsafe, a team of Sherpas called the “ice doctors” goes up to rework the route, repositioning the ladders that clients then take across frozen obstacles. The avalanche emanated from Everest’s southeast flank, which is known for its instability. Since the 1990s, the route has moved closer toward the east; this year’s route was directly in the avalanche’s path."
"I think we’re all still a little used to thinking of our Earth’s processes – including geology and climate change – as vague and temporally distant phenomena. But if you want to witness how they actually play out everyday, spend a couple of seasons on a glaciated mountain. On Everest, it’s as simple as this: Snow and ice are the glue that holds the route up the south col together. When that glue melts, things literally start to fall apart. And while scientists say global temperatures have risen .75 degrees C (1.4 degrees F) in the last century, studies show temperatures in the Himalaya have risen at a rate three times that.
The avalanche swept through the part of the route that is most prone to temperature-induced deterioration: the Khumbu Icefall. Even within a season on Everest, the route up the icefall is constantly being rearranged, as summer’s approach widens crevasses and breaks off big columns of ice called seracs. When it starts to look unsafe, a team of Sherpas called the “ice doctors” goes up to rework the route, repositioning the ladders that clients then take across frozen obstacles. The avalanche emanated from Everest’s southeast flank, which is known for its instability. Since the 1990s, the route has moved closer toward the east; this year’s route was directly in the avalanche’s path."
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