It's the highest mountain range in the world. For a girl who studies rocks, there could be nothing better. I am a UC geology student, and I love everything from mountains to soil particles. My trip to the Himalaya was seriously incredible, which is why I want to share it with everyone.
When I first found out I was going to India, I decided to prepare the way I know best: eat. I went straight to Dushmesh, a local Indian restaurant, to celebrate. I finished my saag paneer (spinach, cheese and curry, best dish ever!) and thought about what it would be like. I didn't know what to expect. I was really excited, until I went to the doctor and they gave me four shots and two prescriptions to take with me. Then I was scared. Really scared. With malaria on the table, each mosquito bite could be my last mosquito bite, ever! Not only that, but there was altitude sickness, frostbite, even the elusive Yedi to worry about. But I had to get out there and see those mountains.
The thing that really interested me about this trip was the environmental aspect of it. As a student of geology, I have learned a lot about global climate change. I have also learned about economic geology, using knowledge of the earth to find petroleum, oil and gas, or precious minerals. I have seen the detrimental affect that people with that knowledge have on the environment, and on the people who were unlucky enough to live near deposits.
There are many scientists that are interested in global climate change, especially in terms of human influence on the earth. There are also many people (even some scientists) who claim it doesn't exist. My personal theory is that it's in their best interest (or, their wallets' best interest) for global warming to remain innocuous. I would love to hear comments.
Anyways, glaciers in the Himalaya range have been advancing, leading to an argument against global warming: If the earth was warming up, wouldn't the ice be melting? Of course, the issue is more complex. The "monsoon effect" causes them to advance. This is because climate change is causing more precipitation. More precipitation at high altitude, however, means more snow. More snow, in turn, means larger glaciers. These glaciers will eventually melt, and it doesn't happen this way everywhere. That's why our trip is important. We are studying and reconstruction the glaciation patterns of the past, and trying to find links to the present.
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