Why Mount Everest Makes a Moaning Sound at Night

Nepalese climber on his way to climb Everest. Photo: DW — Nepalese climber on his way to climb Everest

Dave Hahn, an American explorer who has conquered Everest 15 times, said he constantly heard loud noises like explosions or falling rocks in many areas during his climbs. Many others also confirmed that strange noises could be heard from a great distance.

In 2018, Evgeny Podolskiy, a glaciologist at the Hokkaido University Arctic Research Center, and his team made the first expedition to Everest to find the cause of the noise. While setting up camp at the Trakarding Trambau glacier area, located at an altitude of about 4,800 m above sea level, overlooking Mount Everest, the researcher also confirmed hearing this phenomenon.

The team used seismic sensors, similar to those used to measure earthquakes, to collect data on the glacier’s shaking. From these results, the team realized a connection between the strange noise and a drop in temperature after sunset.

"The glacier develops thermal cracks at night, which creates the explosions," Podolskiy said.

During the day, the team wore only T-shirts, but at night, the temperature dropped to minus 15 degrees Celsius. The temperature change caused the ice to break, which combined with the harsh weather conditions on Everest, amplified the sound. The study also found that the ice was "very sensitive" to these temperature changes.

Not only does the study solve the mystery of the strange noise, it also shows how glaciers are changing as the Earth warms due to climate change.

The Himalayas are known as the “third pole” because of their abundance of fresh water, but climate change is causing glaciers to melt faster than before. The Earth warms during the day, then suddenly drops in temperature at night, causing the ice to break up faster. In addition to strange explosions, this can also cause earthquakes and floods that directly affect people living nearby.

At 8,848 metres above sea level, Everest is the world’s tallest mountain. Since the 1920s, 330 climbers have died trying to climb the “roof of the world”, with 200 bodies still lying on the way to the summit. This year’s Everest climbing season officially began at the end of April with 478 climbers granted permits, 20% fewer than the same period in 2023.

This year, climbers will be fitted with electronic chips to aid in rescue efforts. This is also the first year that Everest climbers will be required to carry their own fecal bags to dispose of their waste down the mountain.

TN (according to VnE)

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