China Measures Mount Everest

China has begun a scientific investigation on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, including a precise assessment of the height of Qomolangma, the world's highest peak, known as Mount Everest. Qomolangma Peak is believed to have shrunk as a result of global warming and shrinking of glaciers. A recent survey revealed that the mountaintop has sagged by 1.3 metres. The new investigation is a joint initiative of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) and the State Bureau of Surveying and Mapping (SBSM) that focuses on damage caused to the area by global warming over the past thirty years. It is China's fourth campaign in the region; the previous three were conducted in 1959, 1966 and 1975. SBSM, together with a national Chinese women’s mountaineering expedition will adopt radar and GPS to measure the height of the mountain.