The impact of global warming on Mount Everest.
Global warming impacts a wide range of human activities and ecosystems. One unanticipated consequence of the warming is an increase in barometric pressure throughout the troposphere. Mount Everest's extreme height and resulting low barometric pressure places humans near its summit in an extreme state of hypoxia. Here we quantify the degree with which this warming is increasing the barometric pressure near Everest's summit and argue that it is of such a magnitude as to make the mountain, over time, easier to climb.
Moore
G W K
GW
Department of Physics, University of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. gwk.moore@utoronto.ca
Semple
John L
JL
D001274:Atmospheric Pressure; D057232:Global Warming; D006801:Humans; D009051:Mountaineering; D010101:Oxygen Consumption