A University of Utah team has identified the amount of ice hidden within the Timpanogos Rock Glacier using a novel 3D technique, according to a September 9 report. The study found that the glacier, located near Salt Lake City and Provo, contains 1.5 million cubic meters of ice.
The Timpanogos Rock Glacier is composed of 83% ice and 17% loose rock, according to Bronson Cvijanovich, a former graduate student in the Department of Geology & Geophysics. This volume of ice is comparable to the largest pyramid in Giza, Egypt, and could fill 600 Olympic-sized swimming pools.
To determine the ice content, researchers hiked approximately five miles with an elevation gain of 3,500 feet on various occasions in 2024. The team used a gravimeter to take gravity readings at 232 spots in a grid across the glacier. This allowed researchers to calculate the 3D shape of the buried ice by measuring density differences between rock and ice. The team also corrected the measurements for factors including elevation, latitude, terrain, and the position of the sun and moon.
Leif Anderson, a glaciology professor who oversaw the study, noted that rock glaciers like Timpanogos are common in the Wasatch and Uinta ranges. While satellite imagery can outline the footprint of a rock glacier, the depth and 3D shape of the ice they obscure are harder to reveal.
Research from the University of Utah suggests that rock glaciers gain mass when rockfalls bury persistent snow in the upper parts of the glacier. In the Wasatch mountains, erosion causes mountains to bury snow, contributing to the existence of these features.
Researchers noted that the Timpanogos Rock Glacier appears to continue adding ice despite climate change. Cvijanovich stated that the thick layer of loose rock protects the ice, making these sites climate-resilient water storage locations, which is significant for an arid state like Utah.
The study highlights the importance of understanding hidden mountain resources. Timpanogos is one of 836 rock glaciers located in the state.
