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Deep in the state of Sierra mountain range, massive ice formations are disappearing and projected to melt away entirely by the beginning of the next century, leaving summits without glaciers for the first time in recorded human existence, new research has found.

Age-Old Beginnings of Sierra Nevada Ice Masses

The mountain 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 a report published recently.

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

Worldwide Risk to Ice Formations

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

Throughout the Western United States, ice formations have diminished significantly since they were first documented in the 1800s, according to the article.

Focus on Major Ice Bodies

The new research centers on several Sierra Nevada glaciers – the Conness, Maclure, Lyell and Palisade ice sheets – that are some of the biggest and likely oldest in the range. Their longevity during global heating makes them “bellwethers” for examining glacier disappearance in the west, the article states.

Research Methods and Findings

Scientists looked at recently exposed base rock around the glaciers and took samples to ascertain how extensively the area was blanketed by ice. They determined that the glaciers have enveloped large areas of the range for far longer than previously known – since prior to people occupied North America.

California’s glaciers reached their peak extents as long ago as 30,000 years ago, the article’s authors wrote, and a particular of the glaciers experts looked at is thought to have grown 7,000 years ago, earlier than previously believed. The loss of glaciers, for the first time in recorded history, shows the dramatic impacts of the climate crisis, a researcher of the study said.

Ecological and Representational Consequences

“We’ll be the initial ones to see the ice-free peaks,” said Andrew Jones, the study’s lead author. “This has environmental ramifications for flora and fauna. And it’s a representational decline. Global warming is highly intangible, but these glaciers are concrete. They’re iconic features of the American West.”