China fears Everest is shrinking

This is not the first time Everest's height has triggered arguments

China is to re-measure the world's tallest peak, Mount Everest, because of fears it may be shrinking.

A recent survey found the summit had dropped by 1.3 metres (4 ft) because of global warming.

The height of the mountain, which lies on the border between China and Nepal, has long been a subject of controversy.

It was first measured in the 1850s, but a more accurate Indian survey 100 years later calculated the mountain to be 8,848m tall.

In 1999, American scientists re-measured the mountain using global positioning satellite technology.

They - and the National Geographic Society - concluded that the peak was two metres higher.

But now global warming is melting glaciers on the world's highest mountain, apparently causing it to shrink.

Chinese scientists will map Everest in March to check estimates that it is more than a metre shorter than before.

No matter how big it really is, Mount Everest's height is unlikely to stay constant.

The movement of the earth's tectonic plates is forcing the Himalayas upwards, reportedly causing Everest to grow by about a centimetre every year.

(By Louisa Lim, BBC News, Beijing) 

由于担心珠穆朗玛峰的海拔可能正在降低，中国将重新测量这座世界最高峰。

最近的一份调查显示，受全球变暖的影响，珠穆朗玛峰降低了1.3米（4英尺)。

珠穆朗玛峰位于中国和尼泊尔边界，它的海拔高度历来是有争议的话题。

19世纪50年代，人们首次对珠穆朗玛峰的海拔高度进行测量，但100年后，印度人进行了一次更精确的测量，计算出珠穆朗玛峰的海拔高度为8848米。

1999年，美国科学家们利用全球定位系统重新测量了珠峰的高度。

他们和美国国家地理协会共同得出的结论是：珠峰比8848米还要高2米。

然而现在受全球变暖的影响，世界最高峰上的冰川开始融化，海拔明显降低。

中国科学家们将于今年3月对珠穆朗玛峰进行勘测，以检查海拔是否如预计那样降低1米多。

无论珠峰的海拔到底下降了多少，它的海拔高度不太可能保持不变。

地球板块的活动使喜马拉雅山不断升高，据说珠穆朗玛峰每年升高1厘米左右。
（中国日报网站译）