Every year lots of adventurous people go to the spot between Mount Everest and its neighbor, Lhotse. It’s huge and located nearly 5 miles up in the Himalayas but even then there isn’t any snow. They set their tents up in a place called ‘South Col’ so they have everything they need to climb up Mt. Everest – the tallest mountain on Earth!
Researchers from the University of Colorado Boulder have discovered that when people go on mountaineering adventures, tiny organisms called microbes get left behind in the soil. These particular microbes can survive very cold temperatures and intense weather up high in the mountains, and they can stay alive in the ground for many years or even centuries!
A recent study has revealed that tourism also has an hidden effect on the world’s tallest mountain, and this can help us learn more about the environment here on Earth and if life exists on other planets or cold moons. This was published by CU Boulder’s Institute of Arctic and Alpine Research (INSTAAR) in their journal called Arctic, Antarctic, and Alpine Research.
A professor named Steve Schmidt has discovered that human life can be found on Everest, one of the world’s highest mountains. He says there is a special ‘signature’ from humans frozen in the mountain, even though it is so high up.
In the past, it was really hard for scientists to figure out what tiny living things were connected to people way up in the air above 26,000 feet. This research is the first time ever that scientists used special new technology to take a look at dirt from Mount Everest. This amazing new tool lets us know more about everything that’s in the soil samples.
The scientists weren’t surprised to see microbes left by humans. Microbes are tiny bugs, and they can be found everywhere – even in the air! So if someone sneezed or coughed nearby a campsite or hiking trail, some of those microscopic creatures could be carried there by the wind.
“If somebody even blew their nose or coughed, that’s the kind of thing that might show up,” said Schmidt.
Scientists were really surprised to find out that some germs that live in our noses and mouths can survive even in extreme weathers, like being very dry or very cold.
Exploring Cold Regions
Have you ever noticed how the wind can change from day to day? Wind is caused by differences in air pressure, which means that changes in the weather can create a different type of wind. For example, warm days often have light winds and cloudy days usually bring stronger winds. The speed of wind also varies depending on where it’s coming from. Winds blowing over land are typically slower than those travelling over water. It’s fascinating how the world around us affects the way we experience nature!
A group of researchers from the University of Colorado Boulder has been exploring ‘cold’ places on Earth, such as Antarctica and the Himalayas. They have taken samples from the soil in these regions to study how life survives in them. Surprisingly, they noticed that bacteria associated with humans often showed up in the Everest samples – something so far not witnessed before in these cold places.
Schmidt asked his scientist friends to help him while they were going to Everest’s South Col in May 2019, where National Geographic and Rolex Perpetual Planet Everest Expedition had set up the world’s highest weather station. He wanted them to pick up some soil samples from there as well.
Baker Perry, a scientist from Appalachian State University and a National Geographic Explorer, went very far away from the South Col camp to collect some soil samples. These samples were then sent back to Schmidt.
Exploring Mount Everest and Beyond
Dragone and Solon took soil samples from CU Boulder and tested them in the lab. Using modern tech and some older methods, they studied any living or dead microbes that were inside. To figure out how many different kinds of species were present, they looked closely at the DNA sequences.
Scientists found a bunch of microorganisms when they did their research. Most of them were like the tough microbes that had been detected in other high areas like in the Andes and Antarctica. One type of fungus, called Naganishia, was the most common finding out of all the bacteria they found with both old and new methods. This fungus can handle really cold temperatures and UV radiation.
When scientists looked closer, they found that DNA from some organisms usually seen with people popped up too. These included Staphylococcus and Streptococcus bacteria – two types of germs often found on the skin, in noses, and especially in the mouth.
At high altitudes, it can be a rough environment for microscopic organisms. Things like cold temperatures, ultraviolet light, and lack of water usually cause them to die or go into dormancy. However sometimes these creatures can survive when the right amount of sunlight and water is present to keep them warm and alive briefly. But even the strongest of these microorganisms won’t find Mount Everest as an escape – Once they’re there, they will never leave.
Although studying microbes on Everest won’t really cause any big changes for the environment, it does give us a better idea of how life can develop in other places beyond Earth. Researchers have realized that if we explore planets or moons outside our solar system, we should be careful to not contaminate those places with our own micro-organisms.
A study published in the journal Arctic, Antarctic, and Alpine Research recently found some amazing things about Mount Everest. It was a genetic analysis of microorganisms from really high up on the mountain—it’s called “the South Col” and it’s over 7,900 meters above sea level! The scientists wanted to see what kinds of microbes are living in this extreme environment. Cool, right?
