First complete ice core retrieved from Everest Summit in historic China-Nepal Expedition

Kathmandu-A joint China-Nepal scientific expedition has successfully retrieved the first full-depth ice core from the summit of Everest, marking a major breakthrough in high-altitude climate research. The expedition team reached the 8,848.86-meter summit on Thursday morning and carried out ice core drilling and snow sampling under extreme cold and low-oxygen conditions.

Scientists said the operation was one of the most challenging scientific missions ever conducted on the world’s highest peak, as researchers had only a short window to complete drilling work at the summit. Along with summit samples, the team also collected ice and snow cores from multiple altitude levels during the descent.

According to researchers, the samples will help scientists study climate change, glacier and cryosphere evolution, atmospheric circulation, pollution transport, and the impact of the Indian monsoon in the Himalayan region. Experts believe the findings could provide valuable records of environmental changes at extreme altitudes.The ice cores will now be transported under strict low-temperature preservation conditions to laboratories for detailed analysis. Scientists described the mission as an important contribution to global climate and high-altitude environmental research.