Sketch Map Of Mount Everest From Surveys Of The Expeditions Of 1921 And 1924 With Geology Added By N E Odell – Digital Print – 42cm x 38.5cm

Author: The Royal Geographical Society & N. E. Odell
Price: £50
Publisher: The Hannibal Press
Publication Date: 2025
Format: Fine quality digital print on 310gsm Hahnemuehle German Etching paper
Condition: New
Sheet Size: 42cm x 38.5cm including margins
Edition: Open Edition
Special Features: Blind-embossed stamp of The Hannibal Press

Description: Reprinted from the original map by the Hannibal Press. Printed on fine quality textured paper.

The Geology of Mount Everest: A Detailed Account

Mount Everest, rising to 8,848.86 metres above sea level, is not only the highest point on Earth but also a remarkable testament to the planet’s dynamic geological history. Situated in the Himalayas on the border between Nepal and the Tibet Autonomous Region of China, Everest offers a window into the forces that have shaped the Earth’s crust over hundreds of millions of years.

Tectonic Origins

The formation of Mount Everest is intimately tied to the collision between the Indian and Eurasian tectonic plates. Around 50 million years ago, the Indian Plate began to move northwards at a rapid geological pace, eventually colliding with the Eurasian Plate. This continental convergence did not subduct one plate beneath the other, as typically occurs with oceanic crust; instead, the buoyant continental masses crumpled and folded, giving rise to the Himalayas.

The collision is ongoing today, with the Indian Plate continuing to move northward at a rate of several centimetres per year. As a result, the Himalayas — including Everest — are still rising, albeit slowly. This tectonic activity also contributes to the region’s frequent seismic events.

Stratigraphy of Everest

The rock formations on Mount Everest can be broadly divided into three geological units stacked one above the other due to thrust faulting. These are:

1. The Rongbuk Formation (Basal Layer)

This is the lowest visible unit, exposed on the northern and western flanks of Everest. Composed primarily of high-grade metamorphic rocks such as gneiss, schist, and quartzite, this formation represents deep-crustal material that has undergone intense heat and pressure. The metamorphism suggests a long and complex tectonic history even before the Himalayan orogeny.

2. The North Col Formation (Middle Layer)

Above the Rongbuk Formation lies the North Col Formation. This unit consists largely of interlayered metamorphosed sedimentary rocks, including marble and schist. These rocks were originally deposited in shallow marine environments and later subjected to regional metamorphism during the mountain-building episodes.

3. The Qomolangma Formation (Summit Layer)

Crowning Everest is the Qomolangma Formation — named after the Tibetan name for the mountain. This uppermost unit is composed of sedimentary rocks such as limestone and dolomite, which date back to the Ordovician period, approximately 450 million years ago. These rocks contain marine fossils, evidence that the summit of Everest was once part of an ancient sea floor.

The rocks of the Qomolangma Formation are relatively undeformed compared to those beneath, suggesting they were thrust upwards on a major fault — the South Tibetan Detachment Fault — which played a key role in the uplift of the Himalayas.

Structural Geology

The geological structure of Everest is dominated by thrust faults, folds, and nappes created by compressional tectonics. One of the most significant features is the Main Central Thrust (MCT), a massive fault that separates high-grade metamorphic rocks from overlying low-grade sedimentary sequences. This fault zone marks a major boundary within the Himalayan orogeny and reflects the intense deformation that accompanied plate collision.

Another crucial structural feature is the South Tibetan Detachment System, a zone of normal faulting that paradoxically formed during a compressional regime. This system allowed the upper crust to extend and thin as the lower crust thickened and rose beneath it.

Uplift and Erosion

The Himalayas, including Everest, are subject to a delicate balance between uplift and erosion. As tectonic forces push the range upwards, weathering and glacial activity wear it down. The glaciers on Everest, such as the Khumbu Glacier to the south and the Rongbuk Glacier to the north, are powerful agents of erosion, carving valleys and transporting debris downslope.

Erosion also plays a critical role in exposing deeper geological units. Without it, the older metamorphic rocks at the base of the mountain would remain buried. Thus, the interplay of tectonics and surface processes has not only built Everest but also revealed its complex internal structure.

Modern Implications

Understanding the geology of Mount Everest is not merely an academic exercise. The region’s tectonic activity poses real risks in the form of earthquakes and landslides, with implications for both climbers and the communities that inhabit the Himalayan foothills. Moreover, climate change is altering glacial dynamics, potentially accelerating erosion and increasing geological hazards.

Mount Everest’s geology is a vivid narrative written in stone — a chronicle of oceans vanished, continents colliding, and mountains rising. It serves as a natural archive of Earth’s deep-time processes, offering scientists and mountaineers alike a humbling glimpse into the forces that continue to shape our planet.

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N E Odell: A Short Biography

Early Life and Education

Noel Ewart Odell was born on 25 December 1890 in St Lawrence, Isle of Wight. From an early age, he demonstrated a keen interest in natural sciences, a passion that would evolve into a distinguished career in geology. He pursued his higher education at the University of London, later undertaking postgraduate studies at Cambridge, where he refined his geological expertise and developed a growing interest in the Himalayas and high-altitude environments.

Academic and Geological Career

Odell was first and foremost a geologist of considerable distinction. His research interests lay in structural geology and petrology, with a particular focus on high-altitude terrains. Over the course of his career, he held academic positions at several British universities, including Cambridge and the University of Otago in New Zealand. His academic output, grounded in rigorous fieldwork and analytical insight, contributed significantly to the understanding of rock formations and orogenic (mountain-building) processes.

He gained recognition for his work on the geology of the Scottish Highlands, the Himalayas, and parts of the Arctic. His ability to conduct detailed geological mapping under extreme physical conditions set him apart from many of his contemporaries. Odell was known for combining scientific observation with remarkable physical endurance, often conducting surveys in areas previously unexplored by geologists.

Role in the 1924 British Everest Expedition

Odell is perhaps best known to the wider public for his involvement in the 1924 British Mount Everest Expedition, a historic venture aimed at achieving the first ascent of the world’s highest peak. As the team’s official geologist, Odell was tasked not only with supporting the climbing effort but also with conducting scientific research at high altitude — a challenging prospect given the limited equipment of the era.

On 8 June 1924, Odell made a fateful observation through a break in the cloud cover from his vantage point near the North Col. He reported seeing two figures, believed to be George Mallory and Andrew Irvine, ascending a prominent step on the northeast ridge at approximately 12:50 p.m. This sighting, later referred to as the “last sighting,” has become a central piece of the mystery surrounding whether the pair reached the summit before disappearing. Odell’s account, delivered with scientific precision, has been scrutinised and debated for decades, but it remains the most credible contemporaneous evidence concerning the fate of Mallory and Irvine.

Despite his background as a scientist, Odell proved himself physically and mentally resilient under extreme conditions. When the summit team failed to return, he climbed back up to the high camps alone in an effort to find them, enduring brutal weather and hazardous terrain. His actions demonstrated not only professional responsibility but personal courage.

Later Work and Legacy

Following the Everest expedition, Odell returned to academia and continued his geological fieldwork across the globe. He conducted surveys in Greenland, Spitsbergen, and the Karakoram, furthering the understanding of alpine and polar geology. In the 1930s, he took up a professorship at the University of Otago, New Zealand, where he inspired a generation of geologists and mountaineers.

Odell remained an active climber well into his later years and continued to write and speak on matters of geology and exploration. His memoirs and lectures reflected a mind equally attuned to scientific detail and the philosophical dimensions of human endeavour in extreme landscapes.

Character and Personal Life

1. E. Odell was widely respected for his integrity, precision, and modesty. Unlike many explorers of his generation, he eschewed fame and sensationalism, choosing instead to uphold the scientific value of his work and the quiet dignity of exploration. He was deeply committed to the idea that scientific understanding should go hand in hand with human exploration of the natural world.

He married later in life and continued his research and travels well into retirement. He eventually settled in Wales, where he remained intellectually active until his death on 21 February 1987, at the age of 96.

Enduring Influence

Odell’s contributions to geology, particularly in the context of high mountain environments, remain influential. His meticulous field notes, geological maps, and scholarly publications are valued for their clarity and empirical reliability. In mountaineering history, his name is inextricably linked with one of its great mysteries — yet his real legacy lies in the fusion of scientific enquiry with human endurance.

Through both his geological scholarship and his presence at a pivotal moment in mountaineering history, N. E. Odell occupies a unique place in the narrative of the Earth’s highest places — not as a seeker of fame, but as a dedicated observer of the Earth’s profound and often perilous beauty.

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