Galena Creek Rock Glacier
A rock glacier in the Absaroka Mountains of northwest Wyoming, serving as the primary Mars analog for the SCOUT project.
An Analog for Mars in Wyoming
Rock glaciers are flowing masses with ice and ice-rich cores, covered by rocks and debris which may shield them from melting. Galena Creek Rock Glacier sits in the Absaroka Mountains of northwest Wyoming. It is an active (still flowing and deforming) rock glacier with morphology that mirrors the viscous flow features observed from orbit on Mars.
Galena Creekâs surface is blanketed by 0.8 to 3 meters of angular rock debris. Beneath this insulating layer lies glaciogenic ice (ice derived from a former glacier rather than permafrost). The ice contains distinct sediment bands at roughly 20-centimeter intervals. These bands may be relatively enriched in organic material and could represent regions where microorganisms are concentrated.
Viscous flow feature on Mars. Image credits: NASA/JPL/Malin Space Science Systems
Why Galena Creek Rock Glacier?
Subsurface Ice
Viscous flow features are thought to consist of ice buried under meters of Martian regolith. Galena Creek provides a comparable terrestrial parallel for studying how organic matter and microbial cells are distributed and preserved in these buried ice masses.
Sediment Stratigraphy
The layered sediment bands within the ice create discrete micro-environments, potentially analogous to the stratigraphy that future Mars missions will need to navigate when searching for biosignatures.
Accessibility
Unlike potential midlatitude glaciers on Mars, Galena Creek is readily accessible for repeated field campaigns. It can be reached by foot and ATV, enabling repeat testing of instrumentation and sample collection.
Field Log
Dispatches and observations from SCOUT's analog field campaigns.
Inaugural Field Season
The SCOUT team's first field deployment to Galena Creek Rock Glacier is planned for summer 2027. Updates will be posted here as the campaign progresses.
