PHOTO: WANAKA LANDSARLate snow and miserable summer weather have delivered a reprieve from rapid ice loss on the Southern Alps glaciers. It has been 50 years since the ESNZ did its first aerial survey of the Southern Alps glaciers, and researchers carrying out this year’s end-of-summer snowline and glacier survey were surprised to see retained snow on some of the glaciers, he said. ‘‘This year’s survey showed some glaciers with snow and ice footprints that weren’t quite as small as what we’ve seen in the past two years. Our glaciers are one of the more visible signs of a warming climate, he said. ‘‘To limit the continued trend of glacier decline, climate warming needs to be halted quickly,’’ he said.

Source: Otago Daily Times April 06, 2026 17:47 UTC