NatGeo publishes story on Everest research

National Geographic published a story about research connected to the National Geographic and Rolex Perpetual Planet Everest Expedition. A group of scientists in labs spread across Europe, the U.S. and Nepal have been working on the mountain “remotely” — analyzing a trove of ice, snow, water and sediment samples they collected last spring as part of the expedition, the article states. The project’s goal was to turn the world’s highest mountain into a giant climate laboratory, according to National Geographic. “We believe the best way to do science on Everest isn’t just to do one kind of science, but do many kinds of science,” said Paul Mayewski, director of the Climate Change Institute at the University of Maine. Mariusz Potocki, a CCI research assistant, succeeded in taking the highest ice core ever recovered, at just above Camp Four — 26,312 feet above sea level. “This ice, it’s obviously very old … I think it has many stories to tell,” Potocki said. Mayewski said the ice doesn’t lie. “The very idea that the highest part of the planet has been impacted by human activity ought to be a real wakeup call for everybody.”