Following research published in Nature GeoScience which has suggested that New Zealand stands to lose over 75% or more of its glaciers by 2100, local climatologist Nicolas Cullen says the rate of deglaciation could depend on whether it rains or snows.
An excerpt: (read in full here)
“Mr Cullen says New Zealand’s glaciers are prone to retreat because they are easily affected by changes in temperature and precipitation.
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“Dr Jim Salinger, formerly of the National Institute of Water & Atmospheric Research, also says New Zealand glaciers are prone to change because of high precipitation in alpine areas, which can easily fluctuate from snow to rain with a small change in temperature.”