Unexpected things can happen when #glaciers melt. Sure, sometimes they disappear, but other times they can become buried by rocks that protect the ice from further melting. This is one way to make a rock glacier, and could be a future scenario for many #mountain glaciers. I'm happy to be part of a new #openaccess paper presenting a model for this transition, based on observations from the beautiful rock glacier on Mt. Timpanogos in #utah.

https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1029/2025GL121482

#geology #geomorphology #alpine #periglacial #science #wasatch