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Far in California’s Sierra mountain range, massive glaciers are vanishing and projected to dissolve entirely by the start of the next century, resulting in summits without glaciers for the first time in human history, recent studies has found.

Age-Old Origins of Sierra Range Glaciers

The mountain range’s glaciers are more ancient than previously known, dating back many thousands of years, with some as old as the most recent glacial period, according to an article released recently.

“Our reconstructed glacial history shows that a future glacier-free Sierra Nevada is without precedent in the history of humankind since documented settlement of the Americas ~20,000 years ago,” the study states.

Worldwide Threat to Glaciers

Glaciers globally are under threat amid the climate emergency. A study published in May of this year determined that nearly 40% of glaciers are destined to thaw because of global heating. If such heating rises by 2.7 degrees Celsius, which the planet is presently on track for, as up to seventy-five percent will vanish, leading to ocean level increase and mass displacement.

Across the Western United States, ice formations have shrunk substantially since they were first documented in the 1800s, according to the article.

Concentration on Key Ice Bodies

The new research focuses on four Sierra Nevada glaciers – the Conness, Maclure, Lyell and Palisade ice sheets – that are among the biggest and probably most ancient in the mountain chain. Their longevity during climate warming makes them “indicators” for examining glacier disappearance in the western region, the article states.

Research Methods and Findings

Researchers looked at recently exposed base rock around the glaciers and collected specimens to ascertain how long the area was blanketed by ice. They determined that the ice masses have covered large areas of the mountain system for far longer than earlier believed – since before people inhabited North America.

The state's glaciers attained their peak extents as early as 30,000 years ago, the article’s authors wrote, and one of the glaciers experts studied is believed to have expanded seven thousand years ago, earlier than previously believed. The disappearance of glaciers, for the initial time in recorded history, shows the profound effects of the climate crisis, a researcher of the investigation said.

Ecological and Representational Consequences

“We’ll be the first to witness the glacier-less summits,” said the study's lead researcher, the study’s lead author. “This has environmental ramifications 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.”