09/25/2026
BYU geology professor Greg Carling and his students are studying hidden water supplies beneath rock debris in alpine areas like Mount Timpanogos, where the Timpanogos Rock Glacier feeds Emerald Lake. Rock glaciers — slowly flowing masses of ice and debris — store and release water long after the snow melts.
In collaboration with the Utah Geological Survey and universities across the state, the BYU research team hopes its findings will inform future water management strategies. Because rock glaciers may feed streams during late summer, they could provide relief to communities facing drought conditions.
Lerato Thoka-Cole, a BYU geology graduate student, plans to apply her research knowledge to benefit drought-stressed communities back home.
“Africa is considered a very water-scarce continent, and much of its water is trapped in aquifers,” Thoka-Cole said. “I want to take everything I've learned and give back.”