New Zealand glaciers in 'stay of execution,' not melt reversal

Fifty years after the first aerial survey of New Zealand's Southern Alps glaciers, scientists are reporting no reversal in the overall trend of ice loss despite a temporary reprieve from recent late snow and variable summer weather.

Researchers from Earth Sciences New Zealand, Victoria University of Wellington and the Department of Conservation completed their 2026 end-of-summer survey in March, photographing hundreds of glaciers to assess changes in snowlines and ice volume, an Earth Sciences New Zealand statement said Tuesday.

Andrew Lorrey, principal climate scientist from Earth Sciences New Zealand, said this year's snowline and glacier survey, conducted annually since 1977, saw retained snow on some glaciers, but this was "only a stay of execution and not a reversal in the long term decline of ice coverage."

Researchers said that 2025 was New Zealand's fourth warmest year on record. Globally, the World Meteorological Organization said that 2025 was 1.43 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels.

"A warmer planet means less ice, and our glaciers are one of the more visible signs of a warming climate," the statement said.

"Glaciers are an important part of New Zealand's environment, economy and identity. They underpin tourism, deliver meltwater carrying nutrients into rivers and lakes, and feed the hydroelectric lakes that power much of our renewable electricity," Lorrey said, calling for climate warming to be halted quickly to limit glacier decline.