Chinese expedition conducts surveying atop world’s highest peak
A Chinese surveying team reached the summit of Mount Qomolangma on May 27 (Wednesday morning ) to conduct a series of surveys on the pinnacle of the planet.
The event marked a crucial step in China’s mission to remeasure the height of the world’s highest peak, which scientists believe will enhance human knowledge of nature and help boost scientific development.
After summiting, team members began erecting a survey marker on the snow-covered peak, which measures less than 20 square meters.
Earler, a team of over 30 Chinese surveyors left the base at the attitude of 6,500 meters on Sunday ( May 24 ) afternoon for a higher spot on their journey to the peak, as they endeavor to accomplish a mission to remeasure the height of the world’s highest mountain.
Located at the China-Nepal border, Mount Qomolangma, known as Mount Everest in the West, is the world’s highest peak, with its north part located in Xigaze prefecture of Tibet autonomous region.
Since the founding of the People’s Republic of China in 1949, Chinese surveyors have conducted six rounds of measurements and scientific research on Mount Qomolangma and calculated the height of the peak twice in 1975 and 2005, 8,848.13 meters and 8,844.43 meters, respectively.
The first Geodetic Surveying Brigade under the Ministry of Natural Resources and the China Mountaineering Team are the two parties carrying out the project this year.
Technical innovation and breakthroughs applied in the survey include the application of the BeiDou-3 Navigation Satellite System and advanced domestic surveying and mapping instruments.
Mount Qomolangma, or Mount Everest, is the world’s highest mountain above sea level. Boasting unique Tibetan cultural heritage and natural scenery, the Qomolangma National Nature Reserve protects 3.381 million hectares of the central Himalaya in the Tibet autonomous region.
It’s a natural habitat for rare animals including Tibetan antelopes, wild yaks and black-necked cranes.
This year marks the 60th anniversary of the first successful expedition to Mount Qomolangma, and the 45th anniversary of China’s first accurate measurement of Qomolangma’s height.
Chinese mountaineers and researchers climbed Mount Qomolangma in 1975 to determine its height and concluded that the height of the peak was about 8,848.13 meters, and in 2005, the summit was measured at 8,844.43 meters (29,017 feet). Source : Xinhua / China Daily
Image : Members of a Chinese surveying team reach the summit of Mt. Qomolangma on May 27, 2020 , a crucial step in the country’s mission to remeasure the height of the world’s highest peak. (Xinhua/Penpa)
May 27 , 2020
