Science
University of Utah researchers map buried ice inside Timpanogos Rock Glacier using gravity data
A study using gravimeter readings and 3D modeling revealed that a hidden rock glacier beneath Mount Timpanogos consists of 83% ice.
The short version
- University of Utah researchers mapped the interior of the Timpanogos Rock Glacier, finding it consists of 83% ice and 17% loose rock.
- The formation holds approximately 1.5 million cubic meters of frozen water beneath protective layers of mountain debris.
- Extrapolating from the site, researchers estimate that Utah's 836 known rock glaciers hold about 1 gigaton of water, while roughly 50,000 global rock glaciers could hold 48 gigatons combined.
- Researchers plan to further evaluate how these hidden ice stores might act as freshwater reserves as surface temperatures rise.
Key facts
- During fall 2024 field trips, researchers measured gravity variations at 232 grid locations across the Timpanogos Rock Glacier to map its density contrast.[ScienceDaily]
- The Timpanogos Rock Glacier contains about 1.5 million cubic meters of frozen water beneath its surface layer of rocks and rubble.[ScienceDaily]
- Researchers used Bayesian statistics to process the gravimeter data and account for variations in elevation, latitude, terrain, and astronomical tides.[ScienceDaily]
- Mathematical modeling indicates Utah's rock glaciers formed after major Ice Age glaciers melted, as persistent snow was buried and preserved over thousands of years by falling debris.[ScienceDaily]
- The findings were published in two papers in the Journal of Geophysical Research and Geophysical Research Letters.[ScienceDaily]
What remains uncertain
- Global and statewide estimates of frozen water volume rely on mathematical models that scale up findings from a single rock glacier based on satellite surface area measurements.[ScienceDaily]
Sources
- Scientists find a huge hidden ice reservoir beneath Utah’s mountainsScienceDaily - Science