A new study shows that Mount Everest's highest glacier is losing a significant mass of ice through melting and is 'destined for rapid retreat', with the potential to disappear by mid-century. The research team led by the University of Maine discovered that the South Col glacier - situated at an altitude of 8,020m - has lost more than 54 metres in depth in the last 25 years, accelerated by a combination of rising temperatures, snowpack loss, strong sunlight and fierce winds.