Summary: This map details where scientists with the National Geographic and Rolex Perpetual Planet Everest Expedition have collected samples from ice cores, weather stations, stream surface water and surface snow in their multidisciplinary study of climate change.

Location: Mount Everest, Himalaya mountain range, Nepal and Tibet

Explorer’s Goals: The highest point in the world is hugely important to scientists studying climate change because there is a significant amount of ice in the glaciers and the people living downstream depend on the steady melting ice for their water. Scientists with the National Geographic and Rolex Perpetual Planet Everest Expedition are researching climate change, weather, water resources, and changes to plant, insect, and wildlife populations.

Data Collected: A multidisciplinary team of scientists from the fields of glaciology, mapping, geology, biology, and meteorology collects data in their respective areas of expertise to learn more about climate change. For instance, glaciologists study ice cores akin to tree rings to learn more about past climate information, biologists collect water from beneath the ice in high altitude lakes to examine species living at the highest place in the world, and meteorologists collect temperature change data from weather stations to gain a fuller picture of long-term trends in climate.

Questions:

• Open the interactive version of the map in National Geographic MapMaker. Click on “Measure” and practice using both tools provided. What is the distance between Camp 2 and Camp 3? What is the elevation change between Camp 2 and Camp 3?
  
• Zoom in on Island Peak. How has the size of the glacier changed between 1962 and 2018? Why do you think this could be important?