There they were, more than 7,000 miles from BYU, with pounds of snow gear and weather equipment in their backpacks.
Dr. Summer Rupper, of the Department of Geological Sciences, traveled last summer with graduate student Josh Maurer and a team of scientists to Bhutan, a small country in Southeast Asia, to study uninvestigated glaciers in the Himalayas.
Their research of these glaciers could greatly affect the lives of many people in the region because so many people in the region depend on these glaciers and their runoff.
“These glaciers generally form the headwaters for some of the major rivers of the world,” Rupper said. “And as they retreat, some of the big questions are, what will the impact of that retreat be on water resources?”
The water flow coming from these glaciers could flood villages downstream, as well as affect the use of fresh water, hydroelectric power, and agriculture in the area.
Satellite images show the glaciers retreating, but scientists don’t know the magnitude of the melt rates or the mass index of the glaciers themselves. Much of the information of these glaciers remains unknown, making studies like this one all the more important.
Rupper led a portion of the crew of 21 scientists and mountaineers to find more answers for the Bhutanese people. The crew risked freezing temperatures and altitude sickness just to put up their makeshift weather station.
“Most of the time was spent hiking,” Maurer said. “The air’s really thin up there, so you take a couple of steps, and you’re out of breath.”
Of the 21 people on the team, only a small group including Dr. Rupper, Mauer and their mountaineering companion made it to the summit (3.2 miles above sea level), leaving behind many of the others due to altitude sickness and other issues. But Rupper was not immune to the effects of the mountain.
“She had a stomach sickness, and then she had pneumonia,” Maurer said. “Dr. Rupper’s so tough.”
What is found in these and future studies may help Bhutan be better prepared for any potential changes in water level as the glaciers melt in some parts and collect ice in others.
“Bhutan is one of the most amazing areas,” Rupper said. “It’s clean. The people are incredibly friendly. The culture is really amazing. It’s an extremely poor country, but people are very, very happy. It’s a pristine landscape that few people have ever seen.”
Dr. Rupper believes glaciology (the study of glaciers) is one place where geology influences human life. What we learn about glaciers can have a direct impact on those who live close to and downstream of them. And these particular glaciers are special for her.
“The glaciers of the Himalayas are feeding the greatest percentage of the world’s population, and much of it very, very poor,” Rupper said. “So the changes in these systems have potentially a huge impact on these societies and, by default, on the world.”