Milford Sound / Piopiotahi

High school (ages 12+)
Geography

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/milford-sound-piopiotahi

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the annual rainfall?Approximately 6,400 mm, contributing to numerous permanent and temporary waterfalls
2. What is the maori name?Piopiotahi, referencing a legend involving Maui and the piopio bird
3. Why are the cliffs so tall?Glaciers from the Southern Alps carved deep valleys, leaving the fiord’s walls over 1,200 meters high. The ice’s weight and movement shaped the steep cliffs.
4. How do the waterfalls get so much water?The fiord gets about 6,400 mm of rain each year, and glacial meltwater also feeds the waterfalls. Heavy rain creates many temporary cascades on the cliffs.

Pleistocene Epoch: A geological epoch characterized by repeated glacial periods, spanning from about 2.6 million to 11,700 years ago.
Bathymetry: The measurement and study of the depths of oceans, seas, or other large bodies of water.
Tannins: Naturally occurring compounds found in plants that can impart a dark color to water when leached from vegetation.
Cosmology: The study of the origin, evolution, and structure of the universe, often including mythological or spiritual beliefs.