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Deep in the state of Sierra Nevada, massive glaciers are vanishing and expected to melt away entirely by the beginning of the next century, leaving ice-free peaks for the initial occasion in recorded human existence, recent studies has discovered.

Age-Old Beginnings of Sierra Range Glaciers

The mountain range’s ice sheets are older than previously known, tracing back many thousands of years, with some as old as the last ice age, according to an article released last week.

“Our pieced-together ice age record shows that a future glacier-free Sierra Nevada is without precedent in the history of humankind since known peopling of the Americas around twenty thousand years ago,” the study declares.

Global Risk to Ice Formations

Glaciers globally are at risk during the climate emergency. A study released in the month of May of this year determined that nearly 40% of ice sheets are destined to thaw because of climate warming. If such heating rises by 2.7 degrees Celsius, which the planet is currently on track for, as many as 75% will disappear, causing ocean level increase and mass displacement.

Across the Western United States, ice formations have shrunk substantially since they were first documented in the late 19th century, according to the article.

Concentration on Key Glaciers

The new research focuses on four Sierra Nevada glaciers – the Palisade, Lyell, Maclure and Conness ice sheets – that are some of the biggest and probably most ancient in the range. Their longevity amid global heating makes them “indicators” for examining glacier disappearance in the west, the article notes.

Study Techniques and Findings

Researchers looked at newly uncovered bedrock around the glaciers and collected specimens to ascertain how long the area was covered by ice. They found that the glaciers have enveloped swaths of the range for much longer than earlier believed – since before people occupied North America.

The state's glaciers reached their peak extents as early as thirty thousand years ago, the article’s authors wrote, and a particular of the glaciers researchers studied is believed to have grown 7,000 years ago, sooner than once thought. The disappearance of glaciers, for the first time in recorded history, demonstrates the dramatic impacts of the climate change, a researcher of the investigation said.

Ecological and Representational Impact

“We’ll be the initial ones to witness the ice-free peaks,” said the study's lead researcher, the study’s lead author. “This has ecological implications for flora and fauna. And it’s a symbolic loss. Global warming is very abstract, but these glaciers are tangible. They’re symbolic elements of the American West.”