Everest Snow Line Rises 490 Feet in Under Two Months
Why in the news
The snow line around Mount Everest climbed 490 feet in under two months during a dry, warm winter.
Key facts
- Shift: 20,000 ft (December 11, 2024) to 19,510 ft (January 28, 2025), assessed with satellite images and local weather stations.
- Cause: sublimation helped by strong winds, low humidity and warmth.
- Landsat 9 imagery (January 20, 2025) showed a higher line than January 2022; only 2022 had a normal January, while 2021, 2023, 2024 and 2025 were higher.
Impacts
- Unlike North American and European glaciers, Himalayan glaciers gain mass from summer monsoon snow (June to September), so dry winters weaken them.
- Downstream water scarcity and greater wildfire risk, as in Nepal’s early 2025 fire season.
- Millions in South Asia rely on glacial melt, so adaptation is urgent.
Exam angle
- Sublimation: solid to vapour directly.