Olivine Ice Plateau | |
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![]() Upper Forgotten River and edge of the Olivine Ice Plateau | |
Location | Five Finger Range |
Coordinates | 44°26′26″S168°22′00″E / 44.440594°S 168.366606°E |
Highest elevation | 2200m |
Lowest elevation | 700m |
The Olivine Ice Plateau is a glacier in the Olivine Wilderness Area and Mount Aspiring National Park in New Zealand's South Island. [1] [2] The plateau is named after the mineral olivine, which is common within the Dun Mountain ophiolite that underlies the area. [3] The plateau extents to the west over the Forgotten River Col into the Forgotten River, and to the north it merges with the Andy Glacier, which feeds a tributary of the Arawhata River. [4] The Olivine Ice Plateau is one of many glaciers in the region of the Arawhata, Dart / Te Awa Whakatipu, Hollyford / Whakatipu Kā Tuka and Matukituki rivers' headwaters. [5]
The area was explored and mapped in the 1930s by J.T. Holloway. [6] [3] In the 2010s the glacier has retreated, leading to a more rocky approach to the plateau over the Forgotten River Col. [7] The plateau is "revered" by New Zealand trampers for its remote and challenging location. [7] [8] [9] [10] [11]
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