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Far in the state of Sierra mountain range, enormous glaciers are disappearing and expected to melt away entirely by the beginning of the next century, leaving ice-free peaks for the first time in human history, new research has found.

Ancient Origins of Sierra Nevada Ice Masses

The range's ice sheets are more ancient than previously known, dating back tens of thousands of years, with a few as ancient as the last ice age, according to an article released recently.

“Our reconstructed glacial history indicates that a coming glacier-free Sierra Nevada is unprecedented in the history of humankind since known settlement of the Americas ~20,000 years ago,” the study states.

Worldwide Risk to Glaciers

Ice masses globally are at risk amid the climate emergency. A study published in the month of May of this year found that almost forty percent of glaciers are doomed to thaw because of global heating. If this warming rises by 2.7C, which the planet is currently on course for, as up to 75% will disappear, leading to ocean level increase and mass displacement.

Across the American west, glaciers have shrunk significantly since they were first documented in the late 19th century, according to the report.

Concentration on Major Glaciers

The recent study centers on several Sierra Nevada glaciers – the Conness, Maclure, Lyell and Palisade ice sheets – that are some of the biggest and probably most ancient in the mountain chain. Their longevity amid climate warming makes them “bellwethers” for examining ice loss in the west, the study states.

Study Techniques and Findings

Researchers examined recently exposed bedrock around the ice formations and collected specimens to determine how long the area was blanketed by ice. They determined that the glaciers have enveloped large areas of the mountain system for much longer than earlier believed – since before people inhabited North America.

California’s glaciers attained their peak extents as long ago as 30,000 years ago, the article’s authors wrote, and a particular of the ice bodies experts looked at is believed to have expanded seven thousand years ago, earlier than previously believed. The loss of glaciers, for the first time in human history, demonstrates the profound impacts of the climate crisis, one author of the investigation said.

Ecological and Representational Impact

“We’ll be the initial ones to see the glacier-less summits,” said the study's lead researcher, the principal investigator. “This has ecological implications for flora and fauna. And it’s a symbolic loss. Climate change is highly intangible, but these glaciers are tangible. They’re symbolic elements of the Western U.S..”