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Deep in the state of Sierra mountain range, massive glaciers are disappearing and expected to melt away completely by the start of the next century, resulting in summits without glaciers for the initial occasion in human history, new research has found.

Age-Old Origins of Sierra Range Ice Masses

The range's ice sheets are older than earlier understood, tracing back many thousands of years, with a few as ancient as the most recent glacial period, according to a report released last week.

“Our reconstructed glacial history indicates that a coming glacier-free Sierra Nevada is unprecedented in human history since known peopling of the Americas ~20,000 years ago,” the article declares.

Worldwide Threat to Ice Formations

Ice masses globally are under threat during the climate crisis. A study released in May of this year found that nearly 40% of ice sheets are destined to thaw because of global heating. If this warming rises by 2.7C, which the planet is currently on track for, as up to seventy-five percent will disappear, causing sea level rise and mass displacement.

Across the American west, ice formations have diminished substantially since they were first documented in the late 19th century, according to the report.

Concentration on Key Ice Bodies

The recent study centers on four Sierra Nevada glaciers – the Palisade, Lyell, Maclure and Conness glaciers – that are among the biggest and likely oldest in the mountain chain. Their durability amid climate warming makes them “indicators” for examining glacier disappearance in the west, the article notes.

Research Methods and Results

Scientists looked at recently exposed base rock around the ice formations and collected specimens to determine how long the area was covered by glacial ice. They found that the ice masses have covered swaths of the range for far longer than earlier believed – since before people occupied North America.

California’s glacial sheets reached their maximum positions as early as 30,000 years ago, the article’s authors stated, and one of the glaciers experts looked at is thought to have grown 7,000 years ago, sooner than previously believed. The loss of glaciers, for the initial time in human history, shows the dramatic effects of the climate crisis, one author of the study said.

Environmental and Symbolic Impact

“We’ll be the first to witness the glacier-less summits,” said Andrew Jones, the principal investigator. “This has ecological ramifications for plants and animals. And it’s a symbolic loss. Global warming is very abstract, but these ice masses are concrete. They’re iconic features of the Western U.S..”