Five Years of Bottom Temperature of Snow Measurements in the Uinta Mountains, Utah, USA

Automated temperature dataloggers were deployed for five years in the Uinta Mountains of Utah, USA.  The loggers were positioned to simultaneously record bottom temperature of snow (BTS) on the surface of two rock glaciers (RG-1 and RG-2), as well as at adjacent non-rock glacier control locations.  Air temperature was also recorded at the location of RG-2, and climatic data were downloaded from the nearby Chepeta SNOTEL site.  All measurements were made hourly.  Results were use to test the hypothesis that these rock glaciers contain modern permafrost, which would we be revealed by mid-winter BTS values <-3.0 °C at the RG sites (when snow depth >80 cm) and consistently colder mid-winter BTS at the RG sites as compared to the control sites.