New Zealand's renowned glaciers in its Southern Alps will shrink by up to 60 percent by the end of the this century as the earth's climate continues to warm, scientists forecast Monday.

Historic records showed Franz Josef Glacier, a popular draw for tourists, retreated 3 kilometers in the last century and mathematical modeling indicated it was likely to retreat even more this century, according to research by Victoria University's Antarctic Research Centre.

Other glaciers in the region, including the famous Fox Glacier, were declining at similar rates as a result of climatic change, Antarctic Research Centre senior research fellow Dr Brian Anderson said in a statement.

"In the 12 years we've been carrying out this study, we've seen them rapidly retreat and then rapidly advance. It's not until we look back over the past century that we see an overall pattern of retreat emerging," said Anderson.

"Looking ahead, we are likely to see warmer and wetter weather, which means Franz Josef and Fox glaciers will retreat a lot--our best estimate is that they will be 7 or 8 kilometers shorter than present by 2100."

The data gathered is contributing to the University of Zurich's World Glacier Monitoring Service.

"Already we are seeing issues at Franz Josef Glacier, where walking access has not been possible for more than a year, and tourists are now being flown onto the ice. These are the kinds of things being predicted to happen around the world as glaciers decline and temperatures continue to warm," he said.