Southern Alps

The Southern Alps are a mountain range running along much of New Zealand’s South Island. They include Aoraki / Mount Cook, the country’s highest mountain.

Alpine Fault: A major active fault marking the boundary between the Pacific and Australian plates in New Zealand. Its oblique movement drives much of the uplift along the Southern Alps.
Aoraki / Mount Cook National Park: A protected area in the central Southern Alps centered on Aoraki / Mount Cook. It preserves some of the range’s highest peaks and largest glaciers.
TranzAlpine: A passenger train service crossing New Zealand’s South Island between Christchurch and Greymouth. Its route crosses the Southern Alps through Arthur’s Pass and the Otira Tunnel.
Orographic precipitation: Precipitation produced when air rises, cools, and condenses as it crosses elevated terrain. Moist westerly air drops heavy rain on the Alps’ western slopes and creates a drier east.
Pacific Plate: A tectonic plate underlying much of the Pacific Ocean and parts of its margins. Its motion against the Australian Plate helps raise the range.
Westland Tai Poutini National Park: A national park on the West Coast of New Zealand’s South Island, encompassing glaciers and rainforest. Its steep western slopes illustrate the range’s sharp climatic and ecological gradients.
Otira Tunnel: A railway tunnel through the Southern Alps connecting Arthur’s Pass and Otira. It carries the rail line beneath terrain that once made the crossing difficult.
New Zealand temperate rainforests: Forests in New Zealand’s mild, wet regions, including extensive areas on the South Island’s West Coast. Heavy rainfall on the western flank sustains forests close to alpine ice.
Australian Plate: A tectonic plate underlying Australia, parts of the Indian Ocean, and nearby regions. It converges obliquely with the Pacific Plate beneath the Southern Alps.
Franz Josef Glacier: A valley glacier in Westland Tai Poutini National Park on New Zealand’s West Coast. Its descent toward temperate rainforest makes it a striking example of the range’s glaciation.

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