The peak, which had a recorded altitude of 4,810.4 metres (15,782 feet) in September 2001 now stands at 4,808.45 metres (15,776 feet), a loss of 1.95 metres (6.4 feet), according to the topographic readings taken last month, which had a margin of error of 10 centimetres.

A spokesman for the 19-member research team, Pierre Bibollet, told journalists that the difference could be explained by "the combined effect of the wind, which has worn down the peak, and the temperature, because the snow was warmer and it got compressed faster."

The team also noted that the summit of the mountain -- made up of snow and ice -- had shifted slightly, 70 centimetres to the northwest.

SPACE.WIRE