An investigation into the effects of Proglacial Lakes on Mountain Glacier Dynamics in New Zealand.

This study explores the impact of proglacial lakes on glacier dynamics in New Zealand's Southern Alps / Kā Tiritiri o te Moana by analysing three key dynamics: glacier velocity, ice thickness, and surface elevation change. Using a range of statistical tests, including Zonal Statistics in ArcGIS Pro, the study examines these dynamics in relation to glacier geometries and the distance from the terminus, aiming to determine whether there are differences between lake-terminating and land-terminating glaciers. Despite previous research suggesting that proglacial lakes can enhance glacier velocity due to processes such as basal melting and calving, this study finds no significant differences in velocity, elevation change, and ice thickness between lake-terminating and land-terminating glaciers. These results suggest that other factors could play a more dominant role in influencing glacier dynamics than the presence of a proglacial lake, such as glacier evolution, debris cover or climate change. Further analysis into the spatial variations of glacier dynamics was also undertaken to assess whether this could be a factor that controls glacier dynamics due to the previously mentioned east west precipitation gradient. The findings of this study highlight the complexity of glaciated systems and the controls on glacier dynamics, suggesting that the presence of a proglacial lake plays a secondary role relative to broader environmental influences.