GLACIERS OF N.Z.

Press, Volume CI, Issue 29871, 11 July 1962, Page 16

GLACIERS OF N.Z.

Catalogue To Be Made

A catalogue of New Zealand glaciers is being prepared by Mr A J Heine, nf the Geological Survey of the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research The catalogue includes about 360 glaciers in the South Island and seven in the North Island

“The glaciers are being classified in catchments length, area, and so on." said Mr Heine yesterday “The information may not be very accurate, as some of it is based on maps made up to 100 years ago. since when some of the smaller glaciers on the list may have disappeared But it has become essential to have a list, since some glaciers are unnamed while others have two nr more names making identification difficult ’’

His catalogue was to be submitted to the New Zealand Geographic Board for the board's official endorsement of the names, he added

All the North Island glaci- 1 ers were on Ruapehu, said Mr Heine At the present rate of recession, one of them ' Whakapapa-nui. would disap. I pear in five or six years Thi= could lead to a later opening j and earlier closing of the ski-ing season on the mountain. since the glacier formed' the basis of the main ski-ing j ground

The South Island glaciers were confined to the region of the Southern Alps between Mount Rolkston in the Arthur's Pass area in the north and the Darran Mountains near the Homer tunnel in the south.

By far the largest glacier on the list. Mr Heine said.; was the Tasman. 17J miles long with a surface area of about 25 square miles The next largest was the Murchison. nine miles long with an area of 10 square miles Other large ones include the Fox (eight miles long. 8J square miles), the Muller (eight miles long, eight square miles). the Franz Josef (seven miles long. 7| square miles), the Godley (seven miles long seven square miles), and the Hooker (seven miles long, 4J square miles). The total area of the glaciers was between 320 and 350 square miles.