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Story: Soil erosion and conservation

High alpine slip

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High alpine slip

In December 1991 a spectacular landslide started at the peak of Aoraki/Mt Cook, in the Southern Alps, and travelled 7.5 kilometres down to the Tasman Glacier. It contained 12 million cubic metres of rock, and lowered the height of Aoraki/Mt Cook by about 10 metres. This was part of the natural erosion in alpine regions.

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GNS Science

Reference: CN21418/12

by Lloyd Homer

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How to cite this page

Paul Gregg, Soil erosion and conservation – Natural and human causes of erosion, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/en/photograph/19783/high-alpine-slip (accessed 24 June 2026).

Story by Paul Gregg, published 1 March 2009.

Comments

mahli harris
29 July 2010
my name is mahli harris this is a veri great site.