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Deep in the state of Sierra mountain range, enormous ice formations are vanishing and projected to melt away entirely by the beginning of the coming hundred years, resulting in ice-free peaks for the initial occasion in recorded human existence, recent studies has found.

Age-Old Origins of Sierra Nevada Glaciers

The mountain range’s glaciers are older than previously known, tracing back many thousands of years, with a few as ancient 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 known settlement of the Americas around twenty thousand years ago,” the study declares.

Worldwide Risk to Glaciers

Glaciers around the world are under threat during the climate emergency. A study published in the month of May of this year found that nearly 40% of glaciers are doomed to melt because of climate warming. If such heating rises by 2.7C, which the planet is presently on track for, as up to 75% will disappear, leading to ocean level increase and mass displacement.

Throughout the American west, ice formations have shrunk significantly since they were initially recorded in the 1800s, according to the report.

Focus on Key Ice Bodies

The new research centers on four Sierra Nevada glacial masses – the Palisade, Lyell, Maclure and Conness glaciers – that are among the biggest and likely most ancient in the mountain chain. Their longevity during global heating makes them “bellwethers” for examining ice loss in the west, the article notes.

Research Methods and Findings

Researchers looked at recently exposed bedrock around the ice formations and took samples to ascertain how long the area was blanketed by ice. They determined that the glaciers have covered large areas of the range for much longer than previously known – since before humans inhabited North America.

The state's glacial sheets attained their maximum positions as long ago as thirty thousand years ago, the study's researchers wrote, and a particular of the glaciers researchers studied is believed to have expanded 7,000 years ago, sooner than once thought. The disappearance of glaciers, for the initial time in human history, shows the profound effects of the climate change, a researcher of the investigation said.

Ecological and Symbolic Consequences

“We’ll be the first to see the ice-free peaks,” said Andrew Jones, the study’s lead author. “This has ecological ramifications for flora and fauna. And it’s a symbolic loss. Global warming is highly intangible, but these glaciers are concrete. They’re iconic features of the Western U.S..”