- Home
- /
- Projects
- /
- Exploration New Zealand
- /
- Ice Cave Exploration (#1)
Location: Southern Alps, New Zealand
During this mini expedition, we embarked on a four-day hike to reach a remote and seldom-visited glacier in the lower South Island, New Zealand. Many glaciers are inaccessible due to their hazardous conditions, let alone having passages leading to ice caves. Approaching cautiously over stable moraine, we discovered an entry point that led us through a narrow ice passage into a spacious ice chamber. The stunning turquoise colors inside were unbelievably beautiful. A river flowed below us. Regrettably, this cave have likely disappeared, probably melted or refilled with ice by now.
Ice caves within glaciers form through the interaction of meltwater and glacial ice. As temperatures rise, surface meltwater flows into the glacier through cracks and crevasses, carving channels within the ice. These subglacial streams can create cavities and tunnels as the water melts and erodes the ice. Additionally, air circulation within these spaces can contribute to their enlargement through melting in warmer months and sublimation in colder periods. The resulting ice caves are often transient features, evolving and changing as the glacier itself shifts and melts.
- Home
- /
- Projects
- /
- Exploration New Zealand
- /
- Ice Cave Exploration (#1)