Emma Munoz-McCue
Zest
3-6-14
Into Thin Air Post #1
For the first third of Into Thin Air I read to chapter eight. During the chapters I was always curious about how thin the air was at certain points during the journey. The author described how hard it was to breath without a oxygen tank on the top of the mountain on page 10 "I actually seemed less tired than I had with the gas turned on. Then, abruptly I sensed that I was suffocating. My vision dimmed and my head began to spin. I was on the brink of losing consciousness." When I read this I wondered how much/less air there is on the top of the mountain and throughout the journey on Mt. Everest.
According to http://www.teameverest03.org as the altitude increases the oxygen decreases drastically. Around 9,800 feet there's about "2/3 of the oxygen in the air than at sea level." At 20,000 ft, there is about half the oxygen in the air. And around 29,000ft which is at the top of the mountain, there is only a third of the oxygen in the air.
Now that I have researched about this, I wonder how much oxygen your body needs to survive and how much this whole journey affects the body. It is very interesting how strong your body is and how much it can handle through all the things you put it through throughout your whole life. It is important to keep your body happy and healthy.
According to http://www.teameverest03.org as the altitude increases the oxygen decreases drastically. Around 9,800 feet there's about "2/3 of the oxygen in the air than at sea level." At 20,000 ft, there is about half the oxygen in the air. And around 29,000ft which is at the top of the mountain, there is only a third of the oxygen in the air.
Now that I have researched about this, I wonder how much oxygen your body needs to survive and how much this whole journey affects the body. It is very interesting how strong your body is and how much it can handle through all the things you put it through throughout your whole life. It is important to keep your body happy and healthy.
I was also curious about the needed oxygen when climbing Mount Everest. Krakauer mentions multiple people and incidences where they summit Everest without needed oxygen, but that, as if climbing Everest isn't enough, is a whole other feat itself. For example, on page 11, Krakauer says, "Fischer's strength and drive were legendary - in 1994 he'd climbed Everest without bottled oxygen-so I was surprised at how slowly he was moving and how hammered he looked when he pulled his mask aside to say hello."
ReplyDeleteAccording to physicsforum.com, the atmosphere is made up of about 21% oxygen. As you climb higher and higher on, the amount of oxygen decreases. When there is only 17% oxygen, you notice the first signs that something is wrong. Between 14-16%, your heartbeat abnormally accelerates, you get tired really quickly, you breath louder, and you have poor muscle coordination. Between 6-10%, you have nausea, vomiting, you are not able to perform or do anything, and you likely go unconscious. If you have less that 6% oxygen in the atmosphere, then you have only sporadic breathing and most likely will die within minutes.
High up on Mount Everest you do not literally have less oxygen than at sea level, but because the atmospheric pressure is so great, there is 66% less oxygen than at sea level.
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ReplyDeleteLike you, I was curious about the conditions and altitude of Mt. Everest. After some research I found that both the climate and altitude of Mt. Everest is very severe making it extremely difficult for climbers to climb to the top. Mt. Everest is home to the winds called the Jet Stream. The Jet Stream is a constant wind force that blows 4-6 miles above earth and can reach 118+ miles per hour at the top of Mt. Everest. Following this I also learned that on Mt. Everest, as the altitude increases the oxygen content thins out making it nearly impossible to breathe without vomiting, passing out etc. According to Mt. Everest Information at 29,035 ft, the summit of Everest, there is only a third of the oxygen in the air. Due to this fact almost all climbers use oxygen cylinders which allow them to breathe. Needless to say it is vital for all climbers to know what to expect and be prepared before beginning the climb to the top of Mt. Everest.
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