Chinese scientific researchers set up the world’s highest automatic weather station on Mount Everest, or Qomolangma, on Wednesday.
The weather station will be the first to use high-precision radar to measure the thickness of snow and ice on the peak of the world’s highest mountain, which is on the China-Nepal border.
Twelve members of the team carrying scientific research equipment left the temporary camp at an altitude of 8,300 metres at 3am on Wednesday and started the final-stage “summit moment”, establishing the station shortly before 1pm.
One member of the research team, who was suffering frostbite on the hands, stayed at the camp, according to state broadcaster CCTV.
The scientific research project on Everest named “Summit Mission” was fully launched on April 28.
Five scientific research teams, 16 scientific research groups and more than 270 researchers are taking part in the project, according to CCTV, which said it will conduct research across a broad range of areas using advanced instruments and equipment.
The Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, where Mount Everest is located, is known as the roof of the world, the water tower of Asia and the Earth’s third pole.
China has been conducting research on the world’s tallest peak since the 1950s.
