Chinese atop earth's summit
(Agencies)
Updated: 2005-05-23 08:55

Twenty-four Chinese mountaineers and researchers on a mission to determine whether the world's tallest mountain is still growing scaled Mount Qomolangma (Mount Everest) at about 11:08 a.m. Sunday, according to reports from the headquarters.

Chinese mountaineers were seen in a grab of CCTV holding the national flag atop the earth's summit on Sunday. [cctv]

They erected a survey beacon at the top of the peak and used global positioning system and radar devices to measure its precise height.

They began the descent at about 12:25 p.m. Sunday after staying at the top of the peak for 77 minutes to complete measurement work.

The expeditioners started their assault on Mount Qomolangma at 3:30 a.m. Sunday from the base, 8,300 meters high above sea level, and scaled the peak before Sunday noon.

In 1975, Chinese scientists measured the height of Everest at 8,848.13 meters, a few centimeters more than an Indian survey in the 1950s. But in 1999 a U.S. team measured the mountain at 8,850 meters.

Everest is changing in other ways though. Its glaciers are shrinking on the Chinese side faster than ever because of global warming.

The mountain straddles the border between China and Nepal. The new measurement of its height is due to be released by August.

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