LOSTMELT

Thie scientific expedition set out to assess whether meltwater is 'lost' from the hydrological system of the Khumbu Glacier, whether this 'lost' meltwater re-emerges downstream and how this 'lost' meltwater interacts with the local groundwater system. Due to the late arrival of some additional funding required for the purchase of their equipment, the expedition was unable to carry out their full research programme as planned. However, they were able to trial a novel technique using noble gases as natural tracers to investigate the groundwater component of their research. They plan to return in the spring of 2026 to complete the remaining field investigations.