Beijing, 23 May 2023 (TDI): Today, China’s Peak Mission expedition successfully reached the summit of Mount Qomolangma, the world’s highest peak heightened at 8,848.86 meters. They are now focused on gathering snow and ice samples for further research.
At 3:03 a.m. Beijing Time, the 11-member team began their ascent from the expedition’s camp located at an altitude of 8,300 meters toward the summit.
Four team members were the first to reach the world’s highest automatic weather station, located at an altitude of 8,830 meters above sea level. This weather station was installed by China in May of last year.
The station, powered by solar panels, is built to endure harsh weather conditions for two years. It is equipped with a satellite communications system that transmits data every 12 minutes.
Moreover, the station’s technological upgrade began at around 11 a.m. and was completed within approximately 30 minutes.
Known as the “roof of the world” and the “water tower of Asia,” the Qinghai-Xizang Plateau serves as a vital ecological security barrier in China. It also acts as a natural laboratory for studying the Earth’s evolution, interactions between different spheres, and the relationship between humans and the environment.
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Yao Tandong, the leader of the Qomolangma expedition, stated that the 2023 scientific expedition will focus on crucial scientific inquiries. These include understanding how the mountain’s extremely high-altitude environment changes due to global warming, how these changes interact with westerly winds and monsoons, and how the area’s environment will impact the future of the “water tower of Asia.”
