You've never heard of these glaciers, but they're becoming critical climate havens as America's iconic mountain glaciers and their water fade

At least 1,500 active rock glaciers across the western U.S. are remaining stable despite rising temperatures, losing only 0.05 meters per year compared to white glaciers thinning at 0.84 meters annually in the Tetons; their protected ice will continue releasing meltwater into streams even as conventional glaciers disappear by century's end.

Rock glaciers offer a buffer but cannot fully replace the water loss from vanishing mountain glaciers; this is adaptation to climate change, not climate solution.