Geology of New Zealand Field Trip Guidebook - ResearchGate

glaciers accumulated in the Southern Alps from Fiordland to Nelson on the South Island, and
on the central volcanic highlands on the North Island. Fed by abundant snowfall at high
elevations, the glaciers pushed their way to the sea, grinding up the landscape as they went.
They advanced and retreated numerous times during the ensuing time, leaving wide swaths of
glacial debris and some of New Zealand’s most spectacular scenery in their wake. During
interglacial times (such as the present), rivers took over the work of moving sediment. As
climate warmed and rivers took over, thick blankets of sorted sediment were deposited to the
east of the Southern Alps. Slowly, the Canterbury plain built out to the east, eventually
engulfing the offshore Banks volcano to form a peninsula. The work of these rivers
continues today, which more material being spread with every spring snowmelt and summer
rain.
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