Fox Glacier and Mt Cook

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After a good meal in the White Pub at Fox Glacier we had a good night. I watched "The Man who moved Mountains" again on DVD to see where I had been and to review the next big field trip location - Pigeon Bush on the North Island.

Woke to find the mist of last night had disappeared to leave a hot and beautiful summer's morning. Had breakfast outside to the sounds of the helicopters taking people up the glacier and someone singing 'White Christmas'. Being here and knowing that it is only 16 days to Christmas is very strange.

And then a slight detour to Fox Glacier. A short walk up the valley from the car park takes you to the snout of the glacier and the zone of melting (ablation). From here all the main glacial features of a typical valley glacier can be studied. U-shaped valley, hanging valleys, crevasses etc though for a geologist the glacial moraine outwash plains and the sedimentary environment which is currently depositing the sands, gravels, bounders and clay are the most important features.

Uniformitarianism (the Present is the Key to the Past) -landscape of Britain is also covered by similar deposits and features indicating our glacial past.

And so onward to Cromwell and a 'barbie' tonight, I think!

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Photos

Breakfast at Fox Glacier
In the shadow of Mount Cook

Fox Glacier
The 'ablasion zone'. Geology students note the features!

Fox glacier
The snout - still retreating since 1750.

Fox Glacier
The 'accumulation zone'