University of Utah geoscientists have developed a novel method to create a 3D map of a hidden rock glacier in the Wasatch Mountains. The study focused on the Timpanogos Rock Glacier, which researchers say contains enough frozen water to fill 600 Olympic swimming pools.
The research team used a gravimeter to measure minute differences in gravitational pull between rock and ice. Because there is a large contrast in mass density between the rock of Mount Timpanogos and the lower density ice in the adjacent rock glacier, the team was able to calculate the 3D shape of the buried ice body. This technique, which utilizes Bayesian statistics, allows scientists to see what is hidden under rocky rubble, similar to how a CT scanner images tissues inside a human body.
Bronson Cvijanovich, a former graduate student in the Department of Geology and Geophysics, noted that the Timpanogos Rock Glacier is 83% ice and 17% loose rock. The study, overseen by professors Michael Thorne and Leif Anderson, included field campaigns in the fall of 2024 where gravity readings were taken at 232 spots atop the glacier.
The findings indicate that Utah's rock glaciers may hold 1 gigaton, or 815,000 acre-feet of water. The researchers estimated that the world's 50,000 known rock glaciers hold 48 cubic kilometers of water, which is equivalent to 1 billion metric tons.
While rock glaciers can be outlined with satellite imagery, their 3D shape and depth are difficult to reveal. The researchers also developed a mathematical model showing how these glaciers gain mass as rockfalls bury persistent snow in the upper parts of the glacier.
The research was published in the Journal of Geophysical Research on August 26, 2026. An earlier paper regarding mass addition to the Timpanogos Rock Glacier appeared in Geophysical Research Letters on April 2, 2026. Funding for the research was provided by the U.S. Geological Survey, National Science Foundation, the University of Utah’s Wilkes Center for Climate Science and Policy, the University of Utah’s Office of Undergraduate Research, and the Summer Program for Undergraduate Research.
