The Arrowsmith Range is a mountain range in the South Island of New Zealand. The range runs from southwest to northeast, parallel to the main ranges of the Southern Alps / Kā Tiritiri o te Moana. At the northeastern end, the range terminates at Jagged Peak (2,706 metres (8,878 ft)), whence a ridge connects to the Jollie Range. The lower Potts Range is a continuation at the southwestern end of the range. The highest point on the range is Mount Arrowsmith (2,781 metres (9,124 ft)).[1]
| Arrowsmith Range | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Highest point | |
| Peak | Mount Arrowsmith |
| Elevation | 2,781 m (9,124 ft) |
| Coordinates | 43°21′25.5″S 170°58′38″E / 43.357083°S 170.97722°E |
| Dimensions | |
| Length | 10 km (6.2 mi) |
| Geography | |
 | |
| Country | New Zealand |
| Region | Canterbury region |
| District | Ashburton District |
It is believed that the range was named in honour of John Arrowsmith, the 19th century British cartographer.[2]
Peaks
editNamed peaks from northwest to southeast[1]
| Name | Elevation (m) |
|---|---|
| Prop Peak | 2408 |
| Jagged Peak | 2706 |
| Upham Peak | 2705 |
| Tower Peak | 2690 |
| The Twins | 2564 |
| Couloir Peak | 2642 |
| Mount Arrowsmith | 2781 |
| Ashburton Peak | 2359 |
| Hakatere Peak | 2298 |
| South Peak | 2343 |
Rivers
editThe northwest side of the range is drained by the Lawrence River, a tributary of the Rangitata River, and the southeast side by the Ashburton River South Branch / Hakatere and the Cameron River which flows to Lake Heron.
Glaciers
editAlthough the peaks do not have permanent ice or snow, there are a number of permanent snowfields and glaciers on the range:
- Jagged Glacier
- Douglas Glacier
- Cameron Glacier
- South Cameron Glacier
- Ashburton Glacier
Climate
edit| Climate data for Upper Rakaia, elevation 1,752 m (5,748 ft), (1991–2020) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 11.0 (51.8) |
11.4 (52.5) |
10.0 (50.0) |
7.4 (45.3) |
5.1 (41.2) |
3.3 (37.9) |
2.2 (36.0) |
2.8 (37.0) |
3.8 (38.8) |
5.1 (41.2) |
6.6 (43.9) |
9.0 (48.2) |
6.5 (43.7) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | 7.4 (45.3) |
7.9 (46.2) |
6.5 (43.7) |
4.0 (39.2) |
2.0 (35.6) |
−0.1 (31.8) |
−1.3 (29.7) |
−0.9 (30.4) |
0.0 (32.0) |
1.5 (34.7) |
3.1 (37.6) |
5.6 (42.1) |
3.0 (37.4) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 3.8 (38.8) |
4.4 (39.9) |
3.0 (37.4) |
0.5 (32.9) |
−1.1 (30.0) |
−3.5 (25.7) |
−4.8 (23.4) |
−4.6 (23.7) |
−3.7 (25.3) |
−2.1 (28.2) |
−0.5 (31.1) |
2.1 (35.8) |
−0.5 (31.0) |
| Average rainfall mm (inches) | 285.4 (11.24) |
183.9 (7.24) |
177.2 (6.98) |
215.1 (8.47) |
218.8 (8.61) |
131.3 (5.17) |
87.0 (3.43) |
91.1 (3.59) |
143.4 (5.65) |
206.6 (8.13) |
216.9 (8.54) |
244.3 (9.62) |
2,201 (86.67) |
| Source: CliFlo[3] | |||||||||||||
References
edit- ^ a b New Zealand 1:50000 Topographic Map Series sheet BX18 – Whitcombe Pass
- ^ Wises New Zealand Guide, 7th Edition 1979 p 13
- ^ "CliFlo – National Climate Database : Upper Rakaia Ews". NIWA. Retrieved 10 May 2024.
 | This Canterbury Region-related geography article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |