Hooker Glacier (New Zealand) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Hooker Glacier |
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View across glacier lake to Hooker Glacier terminus in front of Aoraki / Mount Cook
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| Type | Mountain glacier |
| Location | New Zealand |
| Coordinates | 43°40′0″S 170°7′0″E / 43.66667°S 170.11667°E |
| Length | 11 km (6.8 mi) |
| Thickness | 150 m (490 ft) |
| Terminus | Hooker Lake |
| Status | Retreating |
Hooker Glacier is a cool river of ice found near Aoraki / Mount Cook, New Zealand's tallest mountain. It's one of many glaciers in the Southern Alps. While it's not as big as its neighbor, the Tasman Glacier, Hooker Glacier is still quite long, stretching about 11 kilometers (that's about 7 miles!).
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Where is Hooker Glacier?
Hooker Glacier starts high up on the slopes of Aoraki/Mount Cook. It gets its ice from smaller glaciers that join it, like Sheila Glacier, Empress Glacier, and Noeline Glacier. From there, it flows southwards.
Where Does the Glacier End?
The glacier ends at a beautiful place called Hooker Lake. This lake is filled with melted ice from the glacier. The water from Hooker Lake then flows into the Hooker River. This river is a small part of the larger Tasman River system, which eventually flows into Lake Pukaki.
Visiting Hooker Glacier
Hooker Glacier is one of the easiest glaciers to visit in New Zealand. You can see the glacier and its lake clearly from the end of the Hooker Valley Track. This easy walk to the glacier lake is very popular in the area.
For serious trampers (hikers) and mountaineers, there are three huts along the glacier further up the valley. These huts are called Hooker Hut, Gardiner Hut, and Empress Hut.
Is Hooker Glacier Melting?
The lake at the end of the glacier, Hooker Lake, only started to form in the 1970s. It appeared as Hooker Glacier began to shrink and move backwards. Like many glaciers in the Southern Alps, Hooker Glacier is melting quickly. Scientists expect the lake to grow even bigger as the glacier continues to retreat.
See also
In Spanish: Glaciar Hooker para niños
