A newly published scientific study reveals that human urine and fuel consumption at Everest Base Camp are responsible for melting massive quantities of ice on the world’s highest glacier. According to research published in the Regional Environmental Change scientific journal, the heat generated by human waste and camp energy usage melts thousands of tons of ice and snow annually on the Khumbu Glacier, situated on the Nepalese side of Mount Everest.
New Study Reveals Human Urine and Fuel Consumption Accelerate Khumbu Glacier Melt
The international team of researchers, led by Kim Lal Gautam of Nepal’s Survey Department (also referred to as Nepal’s Department of Land Management), focused their analysis on the spring climbing season. During the 50-day period in 2023, roughly 2,000 people including mountaineers, guides, and support staff stayed at the base camp, situated approximately 17,958 feet above sea level.
Daily Waste Discharge and Thermal Energy Calculations
To combat altitude-induced dehydration, climbers and guides consume large quantities of fluids, producing an estimated 6,000 litres of urine collectively each day. While solid human waste has been subject to collection rules—such as blue barrels used for fecal matter since 2003 and rules requiring climbers to pack out poop since 2024—liquid waste is discharged directly onto the ice.
Researchers calculated that human urine alone, possessing a human body temperature of around 37°C, could account for 154 tonnes of ice melting in a single season. Across the 50-day journey, total visitor urine discharge reached approximately 338,299 litres, with an average daily output of about 3.181 litres per person.
Liquid waste forms only part of the camp’s broader heat footprint. Operating roughly 1,600 tents during the 2023 spring season required significant fuel supplies:
- 824 canisters of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG)
- 18,935 litres of kerosene
- 5,130 litres of petrol
Combined with the thermal energy transferred by urine, human activity generated an estimated 849,174 megajoules of energy. Researchers calculated this was enough to melt roughly 2,492 tonnes of ice and snow, with margins placing the figure between 1,964 and 3,020 tonnes. The resulting meltwater could fill an Olympic-sized swimming pool, about 83 tanker trucks, or roughly 16,700 standard bathtubs.
Satellite Findings and Recommendations for Base Camp Relocation
Analysis of Landsat satellite imagery from 1991 to 2023 revealed an alarming local warming trend. Surface temperatures in the Everest Base Camp area increased by an average of 0.28 degrees Celsius annually, a rate almost double the temperature increase recorded on the surrounding Khumbu Glacier.
The researchers noted that their calculations likely represent an upper bound because they assumed complete heat transfer and did not account for heat losses through percolation into debris, runoff, or other dissipative processes. Furthermore, the estimates excluded additional heat sources such as climbers’ body warmth, helicopter flights, and yaks used to transport supplies.
While stressing that global climate change remains the primary driver of glacial retreat on Mount Everest, the study authors argue that concentrated human activity exacerbates the vulnerability of the ice. To mitigate human-induced melt and foster sustainable mountaineering practices, the team has recommended relocating Everest Base Camp to a nearby, ice-free, and stable site.
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