Articles tagged as Mountains | Smithsonian Magazine

Rescuers found the Dyatlov group's abandoned tent on February 26, 1959.

Have Scientists Finally Unraveled the 60-Year Mystery Surrounding Nine Russian Hikers’ Deaths?

New research identifies an unusual avalanche as the culprit behind the 1959 Dyatlov Pass Incident

January 29, 2021

The world's highest-altitude peak is called Sagarmatha in Nepal and Chomolungma in Tibet.

Is Mount Everest Really Two Feet Taller?

The new height measurement comes from an updated survey and decades of slow tectonic movement, not a sudden growth spurt

December 10, 2020

The highest concentration of microplastics—119 particles per quart of water—were found around Everest Base Camp, where climbers spend time resting, regrouping and acclimatizing to the high elevation.

Even Mount Everest, the World’s Tallest Peak, Can’t Escape Microplastics

At 27,690 feet in elevation, the mountain is the highest point above sea level where microplastics have been detected

November 24, 2020

A white cloud floats over the top of Mount Everest at dusk.

Into Thicker Air and Onto Thinner Ice: How Climate Change Is Affecting Mount Everest

Researchers have documented that the high-altitude air is gaining more oxygen and large glaciers are melting at rapid rates

November 20, 2020

The first gray wolves reintroduced to the United States were brought in from Canada in the 1990s.

Colorado Votes to Reintroduce Wolves to the Southern Rocky Mountains

In a historic decision, Colorado voters led the way to bring back the apex predator

November 6, 2020

Colorado's two largest fires in state history seen from space via Landsat 8. The Cameron Peak fire is on the upper right and the East Troublesome fire is on the lower left; the fires have burned more than 190,000 and 200,000 acres, respectively.

Colorado’s Record-Breaking Blazes Illustrate the West’s Lengthening Fire Season

Fire season is usually over by this time in October, but, in a trend experts expect climate change to exacerbate, that’s not the case this year

October 29, 2020

Protected land near Crowsnest Pass, Alberta, above, was one of the sites studied in the new analysis of tree lines in the Canadian Rockies.

Because of Climate Change, Canada’s Rocky Mountain Forests Are on the Move

Using century-old surveying photos, scientists have mapped 100 years of change in the Canadian Rockies to document the climate-altered landscape

August 17, 2020

At 33 pounds, Andean condors are the heaviest soaring birds on Earth, but a new study finds they can stay airborne for up to five hours at a time without flapping at all.

New Research

The Andean Condor Can Soar 100 Miles Without Flapping

The impressively efficient flight was recorded during a new study of the giant scavenger’s aerial prowess

July 20, 2020

Nirmal Purja smashed the speed record for summiting the world's 14 highest peaks, racing up all "8000ers" in just six months and six days

Former special forces soldier Nirmal Purja summited Everest, K2 and a dozen other 8,000-meter peaks in just six months

October 30, 2019

Scientific illustrations, Humboldt once wrote, should “speak to the senses without fatiguing the mind.” His famous illustration of Chimborazo volcano in Ecuador shows plant species living at different elevations.

Alexander von Humboldt

The Pioneering Maps of Alexander von Humboldt

Beautiful and insightful, the illustrations of the German naturalist helped shape a new understanding of the world

October 15, 2019

Climbing equipment and trash scattered a camp on Mount Everest, according to AFP. Some are calling the mountain "world's highest rubbish dump."

To Clean Up Everest, Nepal Is Banning Single-Use Plastics on the Mountain

Earlier this year, volunteers collected three metric tons of garbage from the famed landmark

August 28, 2019

This picture taken on May 21, 2018 shows discarded climbing equipment and rubbish scattered around Camp 4 of Mount Everest.

New Rules Could Determine Who Gets to Climb Everest

Nepali officials propose new requirements for obtaining a permit to climb the world’s tallest mountain

August 16, 2019

The Fincha Habera rock shelter in the Ethiopian Bale Mountains served as a residence for prehistoric hunter-gatherers.

Archaeologists Uncover Evidence of an Ancient High-Altitude Human Dwelling

A trove of artifacts have surfaced in Ethiopia’s Bale Mountains, at a rocky site more than 11,000 feet above sea level

August 9, 2019

In 2014, the Okjökull was declared dead after dwindling from over 5 square miles to a mound of “dead ice”

July 23, 2019

The mountain guide topped out on the world’s tallest peak twice in just the last week

May 22, 2019

An average of 365 plastic particles fell each day on a square meter collector at the Bernadouze meteorological station over the course of five months.

Microplastics Found in Remote Region of France’s Pyrenees

A new study shows just how far the pollutants can travel–and suggests that it is not only city dwellers who are at risk of exposure

April 16, 2019

Nepal's first solo mission to measure its iconic peak will determine whether Mount Everest lost some of its height after an earthquake in 2015.

Scientists and climbers have trained for three years to prepare to take various types of survey’s from the summit of the world’s highest peak

April 15, 2019

An estimated 66 tons of feces left behind by climbers is coming out of the deep freeze on North America’s highest peak

April 2, 2019

New Research

The Carcasses That Mountain Lions Leave Behind Power Entire Insect Ecosystems

A new study shows 215 species of beetles rely on the big cats’ leftovers

March 15, 2019

As glaciers melt, the Himalayan region will face extreme weather ranging from floods to drought and unpredictable monsoon rains

The Himalayas Could Lose Two-Thirds of Its Glaciers by 2100

Even if the most ambitious global climate targets are met, the Asian mountain range is poised to lose at least one-third of its glaciers

February 5, 2019