Mountain glacier systems are decreasing in volume worldwide yet relatively little is known about their upper reaches (>5000 m). Here we show, based on the world’s highest ice core and highest automatic weather stations, the significant and increasing role that melting and sublimation have on the mass loss of even Mt. Everest’s highest glacier (South Col Glacier, 8020 m). Estimated contemporary thinning rates approaching ~2 m a⁻¹ water equivalent (w.e.) indicate several decades of accumulation may be lost on an annual basis now that glacier ice has been exposed. These results identify extreme sensitivity to glacier surface type for high altitude Himalayan ice masses and forewarn of rapidly emerging impacts as Mt. Everest’s highest glacier appears destined for rapid retreat.

全球山地冰川系统的体积正在减少，但对其上游（> 5000 m）知之甚少。在这里，我们根据世界上最高的冰芯和最高的自动气象站，展示了融化和升华对珠穆朗玛峰最高冰川（南科尔冰川，8020 米）的质量损失的重要和日益增加的作用。估计的当代变薄率接近~2 m a ^-1水当量（我们）表明，由于冰川冰已经暴露，几十年的积累可能每年都会丢失。这些结果确定了高海拔喜马拉雅冰块对冰川表面类型的极端敏感性，并预先警告迅速出现的影响，因为珠穆朗玛峰的最高冰川似乎注定要迅速退缩。