Truth Behind Terrifying Noises At Mount Everest At Night

Shocking Reality Of Noises At Mount Everest

Posted May 17, 2024

Mount Everest is the world’s highest mountain peak, and there have been around 11,996 summits. But once, there was a time when a mystery scared not only the nearby people but also the mountaineers. We’re talking about all those terrifying noises that people experience especially at night in the Himalayas.

Let’s learn about these strange sounds and know why and how it occurs. We’ll hear some stories from climbers who’ve experienced these sounds. Join us as we uncover the truth behind these mysterious noises.

The Phenomenon

After sunset, It has been observed that the Glaciers make Terrifying Noises at Mount Everest. Many nearby people and trekkers experienced this sound, but this has always been a mystery. Some said that this is because of the high altitude sickness or lack of oxygen and water, and the people are just assuming these terrifying noises. However, the reason was something else.

Study And Research On Mount Everest Noises

In 2018, Glaciologist Evgeny Podolskiy and his team spent more than a week hiking in the Nepalese Himalayas. Their goal was to solve the mystery of these night noises at Mount Everest. They set up their camps in the Trakarding-Trambau Glacier and found out where the noises at Mount Everest were coming from.

Researchers found that the loud sounds of ice breaking happened when the temperature dropped after sunset.

They spent over 3 weeks on the glacier near Mount Everest, not knowing what was causing the noises at night. After hearing terrifying noises at Mount Everest, Dr. Podolskiy and his colleagues realized the glacier was cracking.

So, when they went back and checked their Seismic data(Vibration Data), they found out that the chilling temperature was causing the thermal fractures in the ice. Also, the extreme weather conditions at high altitudes amplify these sounds, creating a scary sound for listeners. The study, published in the journal Geophysical Research Letters, suggests that ice is very sensitive to these fast changes in temperature.

Their study tells us about how glaciers behave as the earth gets warmer due to climate change. It was one of the first studies to show that a lot of vibrations in glaciers happen because of the ice cracking.

Impact On Climbers

Dave Hahn, the expedition leader with lots of Everest experience, mentioned hearing weird noises at night while he and his teams were resting. He said it sounded like ice and rocks crashing down in different places. He also added that it was difficult to sleep with all the noises at Mount Everest.

However, this new research tells us more about how glaciers behave and shows how climate change is affecting them a lot.

Its Relation With Climate Change

The Himalayas are known as the ‘Third Pole’ because they have a lot of fresh water. But now, because of human-caused climate change, the glaciers there are melting faster than before.

As the Earth gets warmer during the day and suddenly goes to minus after sunset causes ice breaking which again leads to more vibration on the Himalayas, which can also cause earthquakes which is bad news for people living nearby. It could also lead to big floods and make it hard for millions of people to get clean water.

The importance of taking action on climate change is becoming more obvious every day. Preserving our precious natural resources is more important than ever. Dr. Podolskiy’s research shows how human actions affect the delicate balance of nature. We need to work together worldwide to reduce greenhouse gas emissions if we want to protect our planet and its beautiful glaciers for the future.