Story: Glaciers and glaciation

Glacial landscapes

Glacial landscapes

These images show two types of glacial landscape.

Top: At the head of Lake Wakatipu the twin peaks of Mt Earnslaw tower over the river flats. Huge glaciers filled these valleys until about 12,000 years ago, carving out the trough now filled by the lake. The Dart River carries a heavy load of gravel from the mountains, gradually building a delta into the lake.

Bottom: Drowned glacial valleys in Fiordland. The peaks around Dagg Sound rise only 1,100–1,200 metres above sea level, but their steep slopes make them seem much higher.

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GNS Science
Photograph by Lloyd Homer

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How to cite this page:

Eileen McSaveney, 'Glaciers and glaciation - Retreating ice and the glacier legacy', Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, http://www.TeAra.govt.nz/en/photograph/10746/glacial-landscapes (accessed 25 April 2024)

Story by Eileen McSaveney, published 24 Sep 2007, updated 1 Apr 2021