The deglaciation of Lake Pukaki, South Island, New Zealand—a review

The last major ice advance of the Pukaki Glacier and subsequent onset of retreat occurred at c. 18,000 cal yr BP, and c. 400 m of ice surface lowering occurred prior to 16,165 ± 887 cal yr BP. Sediments and landforms near the lake outlet indicate initial formation of the lake somewhere between c. 510 and 520 m above sea level (asl), with initial lacustrine deposition of ice‐proximal well‐bedded Fancy Sands and localised coarse angular gravel accumulations likely derived from melting icebergs. Rapid ice retreat formed a large lake, at least c. 30 km long, at c. 510 m asl, with lacustrine deposition near the outlet of silty clay (Pukaki Pug) which contains as much as 40% diatoms. An age of 13,492 ± 293 cal yr BP for a piece of wood from Pukaki Pug is a minimum for withdrawal of the Pukaki Glacier from the outlet area.