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Deep in the state of Sierra Nevada, enormous glaciers are disappearing and projected to dissolve completely by the start of the coming hundred years, leaving summits without glaciers for the first time in human history, new research has discovered.

Ancient Origins of Sierra Range Ice Masses

The range's glaciers are older than previously known, dating back many thousands of years, with a few as ancient as the last ice age, according to an article published last week.

“Our reconstructed glacial history indicates that a future glacier-free Sierra Nevada is without precedent in the history of humankind since known peopling of the Americas ~20,000 years ago,” the article declares.

Global Threat to Ice Formations

Glaciers globally are at risk amid the climate crisis. A study released in May of this year determined that nearly 40% of glaciers are destined to thaw because of global heating. If such heating rises by 2.7C, which the world is currently on track for, as many as seventy-five percent will vanish, leading to ocean level increase and large-scale relocation.

Across the Western United States, ice formations have diminished substantially since they were initially recorded in the late 19th century, according to the report.

Concentration on Major Ice Bodies

The recent study centers on several Sierra Nevada glacial masses – the Conness, Maclure, Lyell and Palisade glaciers – that are some of the biggest and probably oldest in the range. Their durability amid global heating makes them “indicators” for studying ice loss in the western region, the article states.

Research Methods and Results

Scientists looked at newly uncovered bedrock around the ice formations and collected specimens to ascertain how long the area was covered by ice. They found that the ice masses have enveloped large areas of the range for far longer than previously known – since prior to people occupied North America.

California’s glacial sheets reached their peak extents as long ago as 30,000 years ago, the article’s authors stated, and a particular of the ice bodies researchers studied is believed to have expanded seven thousand years ago, sooner than once thought. The disappearance of glaciers, for the first time in human history, shows the dramatic effects of the climate crisis, one author of the study said.

Ecological and Symbolic Consequences

“We’ll be the initial ones to see the ice-free peaks,” said the study's lead researcher, the principal investigator. “This has environmental implications for plants and animals. And it’s a symbolic loss. Global warming is very abstract, but these glaciers are tangible. They’re symbolic elements of the Western U.S..”