Global warming has affected the permanent snow on Mount Everest at the heart of the Himalayas, according to the results of a new study carried out by Chinese, French and American researchers and published in the European journal Climate of the Past.

The Himalayas and the Tibetan plateau are among world regions whose climatic changes are not well documented.

Nevertheless, in 2000 and 2002, Chinese scientists managed to drill three ice cores into the snow at the summit of the East Rongbuk glacier covering the northern collar of Mount Everest, with an altitude of 6,518 meters.

The analysis of these ice cores, carried out by the Chinese researchers in collaboration with their French counterparts, leads to the discovery of the existence of a new climatic indicator, the content of gas in the ice, and therefore it was possible to retrace the evolution of summer temperatures at the site with such a high altitude.

By accurately measuring the gas content of the two of the three cores, the researchers were able to learn about its evolution going back 2,000 years and they were able to observe a very profound reduction in the amount of gas trapped in the 20th century snow compared with the oldest snow at the site.

These results point to a recent escalation in the melting of snow during summer on the surface of the glacier.

This research clearly indicates that climatic warming has also affected the permanent snow on the roof of the world, according to the researchers.

(Xinhua News Agency February 23, 2007)