Cameras to monitor glacial melting in Everest

Cameras will now try end doubts on the impact of climate change in glaciers in the Himalayan region. Last week five cameras were placed at the Mt Everest region for this purpose, reports Utpal Parashar.

Updated on: May 31, 2010, 16:07:28 IST

Hindustan Times | By Utpal Parashar, Kathmandu

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Cameras will now try end doubts on the impact of climate change in glaciers in the Himalayan region. Last week five cameras were placed at the Mt Everest region for this purpose.

Experts from Extreme Ice Survey, an US organization installed the solar panel powered cameras on vertical rock faces with the aim of monitoring melting of glaciers over the next two years.

The cameras will capture images with the help of time-lapse photography, conventional photography and video all of which will be analysed after every six months.

The US organization is already carrying out similar studies in Alaska, Iceland, Greenland and Bolivia.

In the past photographs taken over a period of time and satellite images were the basis of studies on the movement of glaciers. This is the first time time-lapse photography will be used in Himalayas to study them.

The single lens reflex (SLR) cameras would click a photograph every 30 minutes and after every six months the photos would be joined together to make a short video on the movement of the glaciers.

“It will provide raw images and visual record on the movement. This is important from the climate change and geological perspectives as well,” said eminent Nepali mountaineer Dawa Stevan Sherpa who is involved in the project.

He stressed that the idea behind the installation was not to prove or disprove any existing theory on the rate of melting of Himalayan glaciers, but to provide visual evidence for scientists to reach their own conclusions.

At the end of the two-year period, Nepal government would be provided with data on the movement of glaciers. The images would also be posted on the Internet to help those studying glaciers.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Utpal Parashar
A seasoned senior journalist, I have nearly three decades of experience across print, digital, and online platforms, covering political transitions, insurgencies, environmental issues, and development stories in India and Nepal. I am skilled in breaking news, leading editorial teams and launch of newspaper editions. I am adept at leveraging digital trends and social media to expand global reach, with a strong ethical foundation and a reputation for impactful journalism. An alumnus of Asian College of Journalism, I joined Hindustan Times in New Delhi as a trainee reporter in May 1997. Over the years, I have been posted in Dehradun, Kathmandu (Nepal) and Guwahati. Currently, as Senior Assistant Editor at Hindustan Times, I lead a team reporting on India’s northeastern states. My work involves in-depth analysis, and engaging multimedia storytelling across formats, including text, photo, video, and interactive content. I am skilled in producing timely, shareable content, leveraging digital platforms and social media to engage global audiences. Throughout my career with the Hindustan Times, I have led diverse editorial teams, designed capacity-building activities, and supported reporters in developing strong story ideas, ethical reporting practices, digital skills, and fact-checking techniques. As Senior Assistant Editor for Northeast India, I have been responsible for guiding correspondents through complex political, humanitarian, and community-level stories using multimedia formats. Earlier, as Foreign Correspondent in Nepal, I produced extensive reporting during Nepal’s democratic transition and the 2015 earthquake and its aftermath.Read More

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