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Far in the state of Sierra Nevada, massive glaciers are disappearing and projected to dissolve completely by the beginning of the next century, resulting in ice-free peaks for the initial occasion in recorded human existence, new research has found.

Ancient Beginnings of Sierra Range 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 an article published last week.

“Our reconstructed glacial history indicates that a future glacier-free Sierra Nevada is without precedent in the history of humankind since documented settlement of the Americas around twenty thousand years ago,” the study states.

Worldwide Threat to Glaciers

Ice masses globally are under threat amid the climate emergency. A study published in the month of May of this year determined that nearly 40% of ice sheets are destined to melt because of climate warming. If such heating rises by 2.7 degrees Celsius, which the world is presently on track for, as up to 75% will disappear, leading to sea level rise and mass displacement.

Across the American west, glaciers have diminished significantly since they were initially recorded in the 1800s, according to the report.

Focus on Key Glaciers

The recent study focuses on four Sierra Nevada glaciers – the Conness, Maclure, Lyell and Palisade ice sheets – that are among the largest and probably oldest in the mountain chain. Their longevity during global heating makes them “indicators” for examining ice loss in the western region, the study notes.

Research Methods and Results

Scientists looked at recently exposed bedrock around the glaciers and took samples to determine how long the area was covered by glacial ice. They found that the glaciers have covered large areas of the mountain system for far 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 article’s authors stated, and one of the glaciers researchers studied is believed to have grown 7,000 years ago, earlier than once thought. The disappearance of ice formations, for the initial time in human history, demonstrates the profound impacts of the climate crisis, one author of the investigation said.

Ecological and Representational Impact

“We’ll be the initial ones to see the ice-free peaks,” said Andrew Jones, the study’s lead author. “This has ecological implications for flora and fauna. And it’s a symbolic loss. Climate change is very abstract, but these glaciers are concrete. They’re symbolic elements of the Western U.S..”