Utah Mountains Conceal One Billion Tons of Hidden Ice

Traditional glaciers are shrinking, but these rock-covered formations offer a more complex picture. Because surface rubble renders ground-penetrating radar ineffective, the team deployed gravimeters to detect subtle shifts in gravity. By analyzing 232 distinct measurements at the Timpanogos Glacier, scientists constructed a three-dimensional model revealing a composition of 83 percent ice and 17 percent rock, with an average thickness of 18.8 metres. The Timpanogos site alone holds enough ice to fill 600 Olympic swimming pools.

This data, published in the Journal of Geophysical Research: Earth Surface, scales significantly when applied to the broader region. Estimates suggest the western United States holds nearly 12 billion tons of ice in similar formations, with global totals reaching 48 billion tons. Beyond their role as high-altitude water storage, these glaciers represent a potential hazard. As temperatures rise, the internal ice may degrade, threatening the stability of infrastructure located in the valleys below.