When we talk about the highest peak on earth it is easy to remember the name of the Everest. It is a place that serves not only as a reference to the highest point on earth, but also as a meeting and adventure point for all those climbers and nature lovers. The entire mountain range where Everest is located is known as the Himalayas. Aesthetic has different names depending on the area where we are. For the Nepalese the name is Sagarmāthā, the Chinese know it as Zhūmùlǎngmǎ Fēng and the Tibetans have named it Chomolungma.
In this article we are going to tell you all the characteristics of Everest, origin and importance of Everest.
Key features
Although figures are put, there is some confusion regarding the actual height of this peak. What is true and is known for sure is that it is the highest point on our planet. However, it is not the largest or the highest mountain of all, since we can consider the sea mountains by their altitude. For example, Mauna Kea is a volcanic mountain that It measures more than 10000 meters high from its base and is located on the seabed.
As we have mentioned before, the peak of Everest is part of the Himalayas and is located in Southeast Asia, between the Indian subcontinent and the rest of Asia. It goes to a height of 8.850 meters above sea level and covers an approximate area of 594,400 square kilometers. There are people who resemble this mountain range to a pyramid with 3 faces. The air that is in the highest part of this mountain range lacks oxygen since it is in the limits of the troposphere. In addition, it becomes a challenge for all climbers, since the area is frequently hit with strong winds and accompanied by freezing weather.
The summit is nothing more than a rocky peak surrounded by very hard snow that was surrounded by another layer of snow that can be reduced or increased over the years. It all depends on the temperatures and the glacial cycle. If the rate of snow accumulation is greater than that of abrasion, the glacier will continue to grow. We know that in the month of September the peak is somewhat higher than during the month of May. This corresponds to what we have mentioned about the glacial cycle.
Everest weather
Temperature is also something that is not constant. It usually varies with the seasons. At the beginning of the year they can reach reach temperatures of -36 degrees, while in summer it reaches -19 degrees.
During the monsoon season, which is between the months of June to September, intense storms occur with winds of up to 285 km / h. It should also be mentioned that at this point the atmospheric pressure is 30% lower than that which exists at sea level. These are one of the atmospheric variables that also affect all climbers as they approach the summit.
A few meters below this summit lies the area known as the "death zone." This name is due to the lack of oxygen and extremely low temperatures found there that have caused several mountaineer deaths.
If we analyze the profile of the troposphere in height, we see that the temperature decreases as we advance in altitude. The same is true for atmospheric pressure. Thus, When we reach the highest layers of the Himalayas we have very low temperatures and very low pressures. These environmental conditions cause the snow and ice cover to increase. On the other hand, as we descend in altitude, both the temperature, the pressure increases and the amount of snow decreases. This is how we can better glimpse the rock with which the mountain range is formed.
Everest formation
Everest is composed of several folded layers of sedimentary and metamorphic rocks that are covered almost permanently by ice and snow, especially in the higher layers. These rocks have been applied over many years. Talking about the formation of this peak makes us have to talk about the entire formation of the Himalayas. We go back during the late Paleozoic and early Mesozoic, where the super continent known as Pangea was the only piece of land on the entire planet.
About 180 million years ago the surface of this continent it began to fragment as a result of the internal movements of the planetTwo large landmasses emerged, called Laurasia and Gondwana. From this perspective, we see how the Indian subcontinent was separated from Asia. It began to move northward until it collided with Asia, causing the Indian subduction. The sinking of one subduction layer beneath the other was mainly due to pressure and temperature differences, causing the Earth's crust to fold and form the Himalayas. We know that Mount Everest It is approximately 60 million years old.
Flora and fauna
It is not only an attraction for climbers and adventurers, but also a cradle of great biodiversity. Since in the highest part of Everest there is a reduction in temperature and atmospheric pressure, the accommodation of many animal and plant species is prevented. Only some animals are able to stay on the surface but with great limitations. An example of this are yaks. They are animals that have large lungs that allow them to survive in places of up to 6.000 meters of altitude. On the other hand, there are some species of birds such as the yellow-billed choughs that can fly up to 8.000 meters high.
Some of the animals that can survive in these places are the red pandas, the Himalayan black bears, the snow leopard, some species of spiders, vultures and some pikas. The latter only go to take refuge in the mountains at certain times of the year.
As for the flora, it is less diverse to a point on some rocks we can see mosses, although from 4876 meters in height, you can only find some lichens and plants that form cushions. Above 5600 meters of altitude there is no vegetation at all.
I hope that with this information you can learn more about Everest and its characteristics.