Melting And Receding
Franz Josef Glacier is Melting
About 150 years ago, Franz Josef Glacier stretched almost all the way to the Tasman Sea, a grand frozen highway of ice winding down New Zealand’s dramatic landscape, an incredibly unique sight of a glacier bordered by a temperate rainforest at the lower elevations.
However, as with other glaciers all over the world, Franz Josef Glacier is melting rapidly, one of the fastest-melting glaciers in the world.
With the warmer temperatures, and with increased rainfall instead of snow, the glacier is thinning and massive chunks of ice are breaking away from the glacier’s snout (terminus).
Planning a trip to see the glacier? Visit our Franz Josef Glacier home page for the complete rundown on every single detail!
Best Things to Do in South Island, New Zealand
South Island, New Zealand Activities & Best Tours Franz Josef & Fox Glaciers Heli-hike, Glacier + Snow Landing, Mount Cook + Glaciers, Tandem Skydive, Guided Valley Walk Milford Sound Boutique Cruise, Small Group Cruise, Full day Tour + Cruise, Luxury Cruise, Flyover Queenstown Shotover River Jet Boat, Skydive, Lord of the Rings Tour, Zipline, ATV, Wine, Farm Dinner, Gourmet Food Tour
How Fast is Franz Josef Glacier Receding?
In the past century, Franz Josef Glacier has lost more than 3 km of its length.
Just in the past decade, the glacier has retreated by more than 1 km (0.6 miles), and with the continuation of the warming trends, the glacier could retreat another 5 km, receding more than half its current length of about 10 km.
Ramifications of Franz Josef Glacier Retreating
As recently as the early 2010s, tourists could hike directly to the glacier snout from the valley floor using the Franz Josef Glacier Valley Walk.
With the melting and the dangers of falling ice and sudden floods from breaking of ice dams, visitors are now restricted to a more distant viewpoint.
The only way to actually step onto the glacier ice is by taking a helicopter heli-hike tour to the upper glacier.