Radio New Zealand - Te Reo Irirangi o Aotearoa

New Zealand's glaciers are continuing to lose significant ice mass. That's the finding of the latest snowline survey by the National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research (NIWA).

NIWA snow and ice scientist Dr Jordy Hendrikx says it shows the impact of global warming.

For the annual survey, which has been going since 1977, pictures are taken from planes of 50 glaciers in the Southern Alps and the Kaikoura range.

According to this year's survey, between April 2008 and March 2009 the snowline was an average of about 95 metres above where it would need to be to keep the ice mass constant.

Since 1976, Dr Hendrikx says, an estimated 90% of ice loss from glaciers can be attributed to down-wasting (ice melts from the top) and lake calving (ice melting at the foot of glaciers and forming lakes).