New ice cave study

Studying ice in a cave in the Uinta Mountains of Utah, Jeff and Christoph uncovered a 5,000-year record showing that mountain snowpacks have been losing increasing amounts of water to sublimation—the process where snow turns directly into vapor. By analyzing stable isotopes in layered cave ice, they found evidence that sublimation has become more effective over time, meaning less snowmelt contributes to groundwater and streams.

The findings suggest long-term changes in climate—likely colder, snowier conditions in parts of the Holocene—have altered how snow interacts with the atmosphere. This research highlights cave ice as a valuable new archive for tracking past snowpack behavior and raises concerns about how shifts in sublimation could impact water availability in mountain regions today.