The Fox Glacier

The Fox glacier is an enormous glacier located on the West Coast of New Zealand's South Island. It is approximately 13km long and is the longest of New Zealand's West Coast glaciers. At its head, soaring peaks of over 3,000m (approximately 10,000ft) dominate the vista.New Zealand’s West Coast glaciers are unique and probably the most accessible glaciers in the world, as they terminate amongst temperate rainforest just 250m above sea level. So special is this mountain environment, that it forms part of the South Westland World Heritage Area.The unique combination of climate and shape means that Fox (and Franz Josef) Glaciers move at approximately 10 times the speed of other valley glaciers around the world. At Fox Glacier this is due to the funnel-like shape of the glacial valley and the huge nevé, the snow accumulation area, at the top of the glacier. Fox Glacier’s nevé is 36 square kms, bigger than the whole of Christchurch City.Glaciers constantly advance and retreat, held in delicate balance by the accumulation of snow gained in the upper glacier and ice melting in the lower part. An increase in snowfall at the nevé will result in the glacier advancing. Correspondingly, a faster melt will result in the glacier retreating. Overall Fox Glacier has been advancing since 1985.Being the second glacier to be reached on the road from Greymouth, the Fox Glacier often misses out on visitors from the north who have time to visit only one of the West Coast glaciers. As a result, the Fox Glacier area is quieter and arguably less commercial than its smaller brother, the Franz Josef Glacier. However, the community living in the Fox Glacier region are reputable. For example, the "Fox Glacier School," was rated very highly in the decile rating (this means that the school has a very high scoio economic rating out of ten.)
Unfortunately the Fox glacier is melting rapidly due to the increasing hot climate. This is evident through huge pieces of ice that have been buried for over fifty years are now under the gravel riverbed that lies in front of the glacier. As the ice melts underneath, the gravel collapses under the weight and ponds and lakes form. Due to rapid melting and the changing climate the Fox Glacier has had some 'outbreak floods' in recent years, and the melting ice gets trapped in tunnels under the glacier. When this ice that is sitting on water eventually breaks off, chunks of ice and rock debris come flooding into the valley below. This can cause severe damage if the chunks of ice are big enough. Part of a melting glacier on Fox Glacier turns into a spectacular blue lake that can been seen from the air on a Mount Cook Spectacular with Glacier Helicopters flight, in Westland, on the West Coast of the South Island of New Zealand. Like many other countries, such as Nepal, climate change is severely impacting upon the New Zealand environment.