Measuring Qomolangma
In 1856, a British survey team measured the height of Qomolangma, also known as Mount Everest in the West. While this initial result showed that Qomolangma reached a height of 8,840 meters above sea level, the exact measurement of the world's highest mountain has never been settled.
In 1955, the figure was adjusted by an Indian survey team to 8,848 meters, and later to 8,850 meters according to a US team in 1999. And in 2005, a Chinese team calculated a height of 8,844 meters, but that result wasn't widely accepted either.
On May 6, a 30—member Chinese survey team set out to reach the peak of Qomolangma, equipped with the latest technology – including a Global Navigation Satellite System receiver and a radar to measure the mountain's snow cap – and is determined to settle the dispute.
But measuring Qomolangma is no easy task. The average air temperature there is —29 C – four degrees lower than in Antarctica – and hurricane—like winds blow all the time.
According to Li Guopeng, leader of the No 1 Geodetic Survey Team of China's Ministry of Natural Resources, despite advanced technologies we now have—the likes of robots and drones—there is no guarantee that they can operate smoothly under extreme conditions, which is why sending human experts to the peak is still necessary to ensure a precise reading.
But does the difference of a few meters really matter when it comes to a gigantic mountain?
The truth is that measuring the height of Qomolangma is much more than just getting that one particular number. Located at the point where the Eurasian plate meets the Indian plate, Mount Qomolangma emerged from an ocean 38 million years ago as a result of the two plates colliding, which makes it the perfect window for observing crustal movements. Changes to the peak's height can indicate whether the two plates are heading toward or away from each other.
The survey team will also get firsthand information about the condition of the snow and other natural materials at the top, which could be an indicator of climate change on the Tibet—Qinghai Plateau.
It might be true that settling a dispute was the initial driving force for continued exploration, but the good thing is that we always end up discovering so much more.
