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Deep in California’s Sierra Nevada, massive ice formations are vanishing and projected to melt away completely by the beginning of the coming hundred years, resulting in summits without glaciers for the first time in recorded human existence, new research has discovered.

Age-Old Origins of Sierra Range Glaciers

The range's glaciers are more ancient than previously known, dating back tens of thousands of years, with some as ancient as the last ice age, according to an article published recently.

“Our reconstructed ice age record 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 declares.

Worldwide Threat to Glaciers

Ice masses globally are at risk during the climate emergency. A study published in May of this year determined that almost forty percent of ice sheets are doomed to thaw because of global heating. If this warming increases by 2.7C, which the planet is presently on course for, as up to seventy-five percent will vanish, causing ocean level increase and large-scale relocation.

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

Concentration on Major Ice Bodies

The new research focuses on several Sierra Nevada glacial masses – the Conness, Maclure, Lyell and Palisade ice sheets – that are some of the biggest and likely oldest in the mountain chain. Their longevity during global heating makes them “bellwethers” for examining ice loss in the west, the article states.

Research Methods and Results

Scientists looked at recently exposed bedrock around the ice formations and took samples to determine how long the region was covered by glacial ice. They determined that the ice masses have enveloped swaths of the mountain system for much longer than earlier believed – since prior to people inhabited North America.

The state's glaciers reached their peak extents as early as 30,000 years ago, the study's researchers wrote, and a particular of the glaciers researchers looked at is thought to have expanded 7,000 years ago, earlier than previously believed. The disappearance of glaciers, for the initial time in recorded history, demonstrates the profound effects of the climate crisis, a researcher of the study 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 implications for plants and animals. And it’s a symbolic loss. Global warming is very abstract, but these glaciers are concrete. They’re symbolic elements of the American West.”