New Delhi: Overcrowding is not only the greatest challenge for several beautiful cities or towns like Venice, Italy; Prague, Czech Republic; Machu Picchu, Peru; Great Barrier Reef, Australia and others, but it is also posing a threat to many natural sites like Mount Everest. Considered to be the highest mountain on this planet, Mt. Everest is the toughest site to trek. However, the mountain has witnessed significant growth in footfalls in the past few years. The beautiful site has once again become the headline after a video of a cornice collapse on Mount Everest surfaced on social media platforms. The video, shared by a mountain guide, highlights the challenges possessed by overcrowding on Nepal’s Everest.
According to the guide, four climbers nearly perished after the cornice collapsed. Thankfully, two have been rescued, but two are reportedly still missing.
What is cornice?
Forming on the crest of a mountain ridge or along the sides of gullies, a cornice (snow cornice) is an overhanging edge of snow and is formed by wind-blown snow collecting over sharp terrain breaks. Though ridges above the treeline are the most common locations for the formation of cornice, it can also form downwind of vertical ridge lines and tops of couloirs. Notably, the largest Cornices form over a long period of time in the areas that receive continuous wind from a similar wind direction.
What is cornice fall?
A cornice collapse, also known as a cornice fall, is the fall of an overhanging mass of snow that forms as the wind moves snow over a sharp terrain feature, such as a ridge, and settles it on the downwind (leeward) side. Cornices are formed in various sizes, ranging from small wind lips of soft snow to large overhangs of hard snow up to 30 feet taller. They have the ability to abruptly break off the terrain, pull back onto the ridge top, and surprise people, even on the level ground above the slope. Even a small cornice has enough mass to be destructive and deadly. Cornice falls can also trigger slab avalanches.
A cornice collapse, also known as a cornice fall, is the fall of an overhanging mass of snow that forms as the wind moves snow over a sharp terrain feature, such as a ridge, and settles it on the downwind (leeward) side. knowledge Knowledge News, Photos and Videos on General Knowledge
