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Lake Matheson

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A glacial lake is a body of water with origins from glacier activity. They are formed when a glacier erodes the land and then melts, filling the depression created by the glacier.

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40-530: Lake Matheson ( Māori : Te Ara Kairaumati ) is a small glacial lake in South Westland , New Zealand, near the township of Fox Glacier . It was a traditional food-gathering place for local Māori . An easy walking track circles the lake, which is famous for its reflected views of Aoraki / Mount Cook and Mount Tasman . Lake Matheson formed between two moraine terraces left by the rapid retreat of Fox Glacier / Te Moeka o Tuawe 14,000 years ago, at

80-566: A Eurocopter Écureuil (squirrel) helicopter operated by Alpine Adventures crashed on the glacier . On 26 March 2019 heavy rains caused flooding in the area, destroying the Waiho Bridge across State Highway 6 at Franz Josef. The rains also triggered an enormous landslide in the Fox River valley that washed away about 150 m of the northern glacier access road and destroyed the car park. The road had already been washed out several times in

120-532: A pontoon jetty that stretches out into the lake. In February 2019 a major landslide blocked the northern access road to the Fox Glacier . As part of a $ 3.9 million government plan to offset this closure, the facilities at Lake Matheson were improved, linking it to the township with a cycling/walking trail from Cook Flat. A neglected track leading from the eastern side of the Lake Matheson Walk to

160-626: A circuit around Lake Gault , an 8 km return trip, was upgraded to Easy status. The lake and its small catchment are almost entirely surrounded by native podocarp forest. Around the edge of the lake the forest is mainly composed of Hall's tōtara ( Podocarpus laetus ), southern rātā ( Metrosideros umbellata ), kāmahi ( Weinmannia racemosa ), and rimu ( Dacrydium cupressinum ). Other forest trees include miro ( Prumnopitys ferruginea ), broadleaf ( Griselinia littoralis ), kahikatea ( Dacrycarpus dacrydioides ), mountain horopito ( Pseudowintera colorata ), and pate ( Schefflera digitata ). At

200-549: A lake the first stages of glacial recession melt enough freshwater to form a shallow lagoon. In the case of Iceland's Jökulsárlón glacial lagoon located on the edge of the Atlantic Ocean, tides bring in an array of fish species to the edge of the glacier. These fish attract an abundance of predators from birds to marine mammals, that are searching for food. These predators include fauna such as, seals, arctic terns and arctic skua . Glacial lakes that have been formed for

240-550: A long period of time have a more diverse ecosystem of fauna originating form neighboring tributaries or other glacial refugia. For example, many native species of the great lakes basin entered via the Mississippi basin refugia within the past 14,000 years. Glacial lakes act as fresh water storage for the replenishing of a region's water supply and serve as potential electricity producers from hydropower. Glacial lakes' aesthetic nature can also stimulate economic activity through

280-793: A result of climate change and human activities. During the transition from the Last Glacial Period to the Holocene climatic optimum , soil development was enhanced, whereas early human activities such as deforestation have resulted in elevated soil erosion. These events can be reflected in geochemistry and isotope signatures in the lake sediments. Biodiversity and productivity tend to be lower in glacial lakes as only cold-tolerant and cold-adapted species can withstand their harsh conditions. Glacial rock flour and low nutrient levels create an oligotrophic environment where few species of plankton, fish and benthic organisms reside. Before becoming

320-538: A track along the north side of the Fox River valley and across a swingbridge. They could climb onto the ice at a lunch shelter at the Chalet Viewpoint, built in 1931 (and which burnt down in 1973). As the glacier retreated a gallery was built along the side of Cone Rock to allow access, until it retreated still further. Eventually the northern route became the main access road for tourists. Chancellor Hut

360-619: Is a 13-kilometre-long (8.1 mi) temperate maritime glacier located in Westland Tai Poutini National Park on the West Coast of New Zealand's South Island . Like nearby Franz Josef Glacier , Fox Glacier is one of the most accessible glaciers in the world, with a terminal face as low as 300 m above sea level, close to the village of Fox Glacier . It is a major tourist attraction and about 1000 people daily visit it during high tourist season. The glacier

400-407: Is known by local Māori as Te Moeka o Tuawe ('The bed of Tuawe'). According to oral tradition, Hine Hukatere loved climbing in the mountains and persuaded her lover Tuawe to climb with her. Tuawe was a less experienced climber than Hine Hukatere but loved to accompany her, until an avalanche swept him from the peaks to his death. Hine Hukatere was broken-hearted and her many, many tears flowed down

440-422: Is no major river inflow or outflow. Lake Matheson is 30 ha in area, with an approximately 1.5 km shoreline and an average depth of 12 m. The streams that feed it pass through dense native bush, and often accumulate foam after heavy rains. They carry organic matter and tannins from the forest, which colour the water a dark brown – this is the factor that limits visibility and enhances the mirroring effect from

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480-469: Is now one of New Zealand's most photographed lakes. Views of Lake Matheson have featured as part of at least five New Zealand postage stamp issues. The area around Lake Matheson is managed as part of Westland Tai Poutini National Park by the Department of Conservation (DOC), who maintain walking tracks and access to popular viewing lookouts around the lake. An easy 2.6 km walking track circles

520-522: Is the Southern Tibetan Plateau region from debris covered glaciers. This increase in glacial lake formation also indicates an increase in occurrence of glacial lake outburst flood events caused by damming and subsequent breaking of moraine and ice. The amount of sediment found in glacial lakes varies, and has a general stratigraphic sequence of organic muds, glacial clays, silty clays, and sands based on time of formation. Over time

560-532: The Cook River . "If the road was cleared up through to Cook's [Flat] it would be an easy day's stage through to the Fox Glacier; one day would do that place, thence down to Malcolms Knob and Gillespies," he wrote. He also noted the road between the farming settlement of Weheka at Fox Glacier and Waiho to the north (now Franz Josef ) was very poor. "…when I came through that way, I left the track and took to

600-474: The Fox River . During the last ice age , its ice reached beyond the present coastline, and the glacier left behind many moraines during its retreat. Lake Matheson formed as a kettle lake within one of these. In an 1890s report on "Tourist Attractions in the Okarito District", Charlie Douglas listed several sights in the Fox Glacier area, including the view from Malcolm's Knob at the mouth of

640-568: The Ngāi Tahu Claims Settlement Act 1998 , the glacier's name changed once again to Fox Glacier / Te Moeka o Tuawe. Fed by four alpine glaciers, Fox Glacier descends 2,600 m (8,500 ft) on its 13 km journey from the Southern Alps towards the coast, finishing near rainforest 300 metres (980 ft) above sea level. After retreating for most of the previous 100 years, it advanced between 1985 and 2009. In 2006,

680-468: The queen and her consort . The Victoria Glacier kept its name, but the lower part of the Albert Glacier was renamed in 1872 after a visit by then Premier of New Zealand Sir William Fox . Explorer Charlie Douglas had already visited the glacier himself in the 1860s, looking for a cow. "In those ancient days I did not pay much attention to the glaciers," he later wrote. With the passage of

720-471: The Southern Alps. The view includes the peaks of Mount Haast , La Perouse , and New Zealand's highest peaks, Aoraki / Mount Cook and Mount Tasman . The reflections are most visible at dawn or dusk, and the best views are in the early morning of a calm clear day, before wind disturbs the water surface or clouds form on the peaks. From the 1950s an early-morning excursion to the lake was offered by

760-512: The Williams or Sullivan homesteads, until in 1928 the Sullivan brothers opened the first hotel in the valley, the 40-room Fox Glacier Hostel (which, expanded and refurbished several times over the years, is still operating as a hotel). Official glacier guiding began at this point, employing well-known mountaineers like Frank Alack, Harry Ayres, and Tom Christie. Access to the glacier was via

800-476: The amount of halogen and boron in the deposited sediments. The scouring action of the glaciers pulverizes minerals in the rock over which the glacier passes. These pulverized minerals become sediment at the bottom of the lake, and some of the rock flour becomes suspended in the water column. These suspended minerals support a large population of algae, making the water appear green. Glacial lake sediments also archive changes in geochemistry and pollen records as

840-867: The attraction of the tourism industry. Thousands of tourists visit the Jökulsárlón glacial lagoon in Iceland annually to take part in commercial boat tours and every two to four years thousands visit the Argentino glacial lake in Argentina to witness the collapse of the cyclically formed arch of ice from the Perito Moreno glacier , making it one of the largest travel destinations in Patagonia. Fox Glacier Fox Glacier ( Māori : Te Moeka o Tuawe ; officially Fox Glacier / Te Moeka o Tuawe )

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880-399: The average rate of advance was about a metre a week. In January 2009, the terminal face of the glacier was still advancing and its vertical or overhanging faces regularly collapsed. Since then there has been a significant retreat, with the 2009 high level clearly visible as vegetation line on the southern slope above what is left of the lower glacier today. The outflow of the glacier forms

920-467: The bush as being far better walking." By 1903 it had been improved and Dr Ebenezer Teichelmann described it as a good horse track. Douglas had previously surveyed the glacier with A.P. Harper and William Wilson, and had built the first hut there, known as the iron hut, near the 1896 glacier terminal. In the 1920s Westland was being marketed as a tourist destination for the scenic vistas of its mountains, lakes and forests. Visitors to Weheka would stay in

960-399: The coast to collect pounamu . They would stop at the lake to catch longfin eels or waterbirds. The lake was named Lake Matheson by the first European settlers on the Cook River flats after Murdoch Matheson, a cattle farmer in the area in the 1870s. Since the rise of a New Zealand tourism industry in the early 20th century, the lake has become a popular destination for its reflections of

1000-447: The end of the last glacial period . The retreating glacier left behind a valley and a huge slab of ice insulated by a deep layer of moraine gravel, which gradually melted and collapsed to form the lake bed. The lake is now about 12 kilometres (7.5 mi) from the current terminus of the glacier in the Southern Alps . Moraines, outwash gravels, and river gravels dammed the valley, and the lake grew, fed by small streams and seepage – there

1040-595: The end of the last glacial period , roughly 10,000 years ago, glaciers began to retreat. A retreating glacier often left behind large deposits of ice in hollows between drumlins or hills . As the ice age ended, these melted to create lakes. This is apparent in the Lake District in Northwestern England where post-glacial sediments are normally between 4 and 6 metres deep. These lakes are often surrounded by drumlins , along with other evidence of

1080-472: The glacial lake sediments are subjected to change. As seen in the English Lake District , the layers of the sediments at the bottom of the lakes contain evidence of the rate of erosion. The elemental make up of the sediments are not associated with the lakes themselves, but by the migration of the elements within the soil, such as iron and manganese. The distribution of these elements, within

1120-549: The glaciation of the Little Ice Age , Earth has lost more than 50% of its glaciers. This along with the current increase in retreating glaciers caused by climate change has created a shift from frozen to liquid water, increasing the extent and volume of glacial lakes around the world. Most glacial lakes present today can be found in Asia, Europe, and North America. The area which will see the greatest increase in lake formation

1160-503: The glacier face, although barriers and warning signs prevented them from entering the "danger zone" close to the active glacier face. Safety warnings were ignored, however, by up to one third of the 600,000 tourists a year visiting West Coast glaciers. Two Australian tourists were killed in January 2009 after they crossed safety barriers and walked 500 m to the terminal face to take photos. On 21 November 2015, seven people were killed when

1200-464: The glacier such as moraines , eskers and erosional features such as striations and chatter marks . These lakes are clearly visible in aerial photos of landforms in regions that were glaciated during the last ice age . The formation and characteristics of glacial lakes vary between location and can be classified into glacial erosion lake, ice-blocked lake, moraine-dammed lake, other glacial lake, supraglacial lake, and subglacial lake. Since

1240-455: The lake bed, are attributed to the condition of the drainage basin and the chemical composition of the water. Sediment deposition can also be influenced by animal activity; including the distribution of biochemical elements, which are elements that are found in organic organisms, such as phosphorus and sulfur. The amount of halogens and boron found in the sediments accompanies a change in erosional activity. The rate of deposition reflects

Lake Matheson - Misplaced Pages Continue

1280-596: The lake, beginning and ending at the Matheson Cafe about 5 km from Fox Glacier township. The track crosses a suspension bridge over the Clearwater River , and leads to several viewing spots, notably at the far end of the lake the "View of Views" and Reflection Island. It takes about 1½ hours return. The first 20 minutes of the walk, to the Jetty Viewpoint, is wheelchair-navigable and leads to

1320-417: The lake. The lake water is acidic (the pH has been recorded as low as 5.5), low in nutrients, and sometimes almost de-oxygenated. These are all characteristics of a dystrophic brown-water lake that is accumulating organic matter; in the long run, the lake will gradually fill in and become a peat bog. Te Ara Kairaumati was traditionally a mahinga kai (food-gathering place) for Māori people travelling along

1360-560: The mountain. Rangi the Sky Father took pity on her and froze them to form the glacier now known as Franz Josef; the glacier now known as Fox marks Tuawe's resting place. In 1857 local Māori led Pākehā Leonard Harper and Edwin Fox to both glaciers, the first Europeans to see them. In 1865, German geologist Julius von Haast was the first to explore and survey the glaciers at the head of this valley, and named them Victoria and Albert, after

1400-476: The nearby Fox Glacier Hotel ; visitors would be taken by bus to the present trailhead, and embark on a 15-minute walk through the bush, without the benefit of today's bridges and tracks. This led to a rowboat, in which they were taken out to Reflection Island to wait for the ripples to subside and the famous view to appear. The iconic view across the lake became a much-reproduced image, featured on chocolate boxes, beer bottles, calendars, and souvenirs. Lake Matheson

1440-718: The point where the walkway climbs higher tōtara becomes less common and rimu and Quintinia serrata more common. The lake contains the rare aquatic plant stout water milfoil ( Myriophyllum robustum ). Wetlands bordering the lake contain flax ( Phormium tenax ) and spike sedge ( Eleocharis acuta ). Ferns and mosses are common around the lake, and notable species include the Prince of Wales feathers fern ( Leptopteris superba ), shining spleenwort ( Asplenium oblongifolium ) and hanging spleenwort ( Asplenium flaccidum ). The giant moss Dawsonia can be seen at several points. Fernbirds or mātātā ( Poodytes punctatus ) can be found in

1480-408: The previous year, and just two months previously it had been repaired at a cost of $ 430,000. The Alpine Gardens landslide comprises 50–70 million cubic metres of rock and as of October 2020 is still active, moving 100–700 mm a day. The road has been closed indefinitely, with no practical solutions available for repairing it, and access to the glacier is now by helicopter. To compensate for

1520-494: The wetland around the lake, and the endangered species of Ōkārito brown kiwi known as rowi ( Apteryx rowi ) have been released in the neighbouring Omoeroa Ranges since December 2018. A local ecotourism operation began Project Early Bird in conjunction with the Department of Conservation in 2018 by setting 80 traps around Lake Matheson to catch introduced predatory mammals like stoats and rats . Glacial lake Near

1560-525: Was built in 1930–31 on the southwest face of Chancellor Ridge, now 200 m above the glacier. Planned by mountain guides Alec and Peter Graham in 1929, all the materials had to be packed up Fox Glacier manually in 1930 in the days before helicopter airlifts. It is the oldest remaining mountain hut in the Southern Alps still on its original site, and is a Category II Historic Building on the Heritage New Zealand list. At an altitude of 1200 m, it

1600-521: Was designed to provide climbing opportunities to tourists, rather than as a staging post for mountaineers climbing on the Great Divide. A hut was also built at 5,000 feet (1,500 m) on Craig's Peak (6,000 feet (1,800 m)) for overnight climbing trips. In the early 1930s and early 1940s roads were built up the northern and southern sides of the valley to improve access. The northern road led to main car park for tourists who wanted to walk up to

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