The plume, the scarf of Manjusri

One of the most iconic images of Mr. Everest is its plume on its summit. Everest – in fact a rather colonial name as the result of imperialism, the mountain itself, in fact long carried a beautiful name as Jomolungma – Holy Mother! – by Tibetan.

In January 2004, the astronauts onboard the International Space Station (ISS) observed a 15-20km long snow plume emanating from the summit of Mt. Everest.  Remarkably little is known about these plumes and the role that they play in redistribution of snow in the high Himalaya.

Here in East Tibet, on the summit of Jambeyang Peak, the plume is also clearly visible, like a scarf on Manjusri, blown by the high altitude jet stream.