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SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2: Official Height Of Mount Everest

On May 22, 2005, a Chinese team climbed Mount Everest with two goals in mind: to clean the mountain in time for the 2008 Olympics and to measure it. The team placed a beacon on top of the mountain. The beacon transmitted height and weather data back to an analysis team. The height of Mount Everest was measured at 29,017ft, two inches above sea level and approximately 13ft lower than what scientists had measured in 1975.

The main difference between the measurements from this year and previous years is that this time the mountain was measured without snow. Previous measurements taken included the snow piled on the mountain. Measurement without the snow means that the height of the mountain should not vary from year-to-year.

However, the height of Mount Everest has never been officially decided. On May 5, 1999, American and Nepalese scientists placed GPS equipment on top of the mountain and measured the mountain at 29,035ft.

--Written by Olivia Overman

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