Story: Glaciers and glaciation

Mt Aspiring

Mt Aspiring

Often compared to the Matterhorn in the (European) Alps, Mt Aspiring has the distinctive shape of a glacial horn, with sharp ridges – arêtes – leading up to the high peak. Features like this are typical of glaciated mountains, formed where three or more cirques (steep-sided basins) intersect, forming a pyramid shape.

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Photograph by Christina Troup

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How to cite this page:

Eileen McSaveney, 'Glaciers and glaciation - Retreating ice and the glacier legacy', Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, http://www.TeAra.govt.nz/en/photograph/10745/mt-aspiring (accessed 29 March 2024)

Story by Eileen McSaveney, published 24 Sep 2007, updated 1 Apr 2021