Researchers at Brigham Young University and the University of Utah have mapped hidden ice and water reserves inside rock glaciers across Utah and Colorado. The studies reveal that these debris-covered formations hold massive volumes of frozen water, offering a vital and clean resource for drought-stressed mountain communities.
Utah relies on mountain snowpack for roughly 95% of its water supply, making the region acutely vulnerable to persistent drought. But beneath the loose rock and rubble of high-altitude alpine zones, a different kind of frozen reservoir is drawing close scientific attention according to a Brigham Young University report. While conventional glaciers expose gleaming ice to the elements, rock glaciers look like ordinary piles of boulders slowly creeping down mountain slopes.
Mapping the Hidden Ice Beneath Mount Timpanogos
The Timpanogos Rock Glacier sits in a north-facing basin beneath Mount Timpanogos, roughly seven kilometers from the developed eastern side of Utah Valley. Stretching about 800 meters long and up to 200 meters wide, the landform remains active, with measurements showing its surface sliding downhill at a rate of 8 to 20 centimeters per year as detailed in research published by University of Utah geologists.
Because ordinary ground-penetrating radar struggles to penetrate the scattering debris on top of rock glaciers, researchers turned to a different physical property to see inside: gravity. Rock is significantly denser than ice, meaning gravitational pull weakens slightly over areas with thicker subsurface ice deposits. During 2024 field trips, former geology graduate student Bronson Cvijanovich carried a sensitive gravimeter across the rocky terrain, recording measurements at 232 locations spaced roughly 25 meters apart.
After applying complex statistical modeling to account for elevation, latitude, and terrain, the team built a three-dimensional computer model of the subterranean ice. The findings revealed that the Timpanogos landform contains about 1.55 million cubic meters of ice—enough frozen water to fill roughly 600 Olympic swimming pools according to gravity-imaging work published in the Journal of Geophysical Research: Earth Surface. Within its ice-rich core, the material is roughly 83% ice and 17% loose rock.
Expedition Findings Across Utah and Colorado Mountain Ranges
While the University of Utah team focused on high-resolution imaging at Mount Timpanogos, a parallel field investigation led by BYU geology professor Greg Carling cast a wider net across the region. Carling and a team of students spent six weeks hiking to nearly 100 high-country rock glaciers spread across Utah and Colorado. Their goal was to locate outlet streams fed by these hidden reservoirs and test the water chemistry.
Researchers documented 836 rock glaciers across Utah alone, utilizing satellite imagery to track formations hidden throughout the Wasatch, Uinta, and La Sal ranges as reported by the University of Utah glaciology team. University of Utah glaciology professor Leif Anderson noted the deceptive nature of the terrain, explaining that hikers traversing high-altitude rubble fields often don’t realize there could be 120 feet of ice buried beneath your feet
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“What we ended up finding out was nearly all of them had water, so it’s pretty exciting for us to be able to find that, Especially late in the summer, when we need that water the most.”
Greg Carling, BYU geology professor, via KSL
Water Quality and Global Implications for Arid Regions
Laboratory analyses of water and macroinvertebrate samples collected during the expeditions revealed excellent water quality at most rock glacier outflows according to BYU researchers.
“What’s cool is that once it snows again, the water will go back into the rock glacier, and the ice will be stored right back in, and they’re (rock glaciers) not as exposed as normal glaciers are.”
Lerato Thoka-Cole, BYU geology graduate student, via KSL
The timing of these discoveries is critical. The U.S.
For students involved in the fieldwork, the hands-on experience offered broader perspectives on resource management. Thoka-Cole, whose research focuses on drought resilience, plans to apply the lessons learned in the American West to her home continent according to university profiles. Noting that Africa holds vast untapped groundwater reserves trapped in subterranean aquifers, she intends to take her training back to help communities facing severe water scarcity.
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