Two large glacial lakes lie in the central part of the Southern Alps: Pūkaki (left) and Tekapo. Both are dammed by moraines. The turquoise colour is caused by finely ground rock flour suspended in the water.
Lake Pūkaki is mainly fed by the braided Tasman River, which flows out of the Tasman Glacier. Because the glacier has been gradually melting, its surface is covered by dark-coloured moraine, so it does not stand out clearly here. Lake Tekapo is mainly fed by the Godley River, which flows from the relatively small Godley Glacier.
Te whakamahi i tēnei tūemi
NASA - JSC Digital Image Collection
Reference:
STS056-101-64
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