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Deep in the state of Sierra mountain range, massive glaciers are disappearing and projected to dissolve completely by the start of the coming hundred years, leaving ice-free peaks for the first time in human history, new research has found.

Ancient Beginnings of Sierra Range Ice Masses

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 a report released last week.

“Our reconstructed ice age record shows that a future ice-free Sierra Nevada is without precedent in the history of humankind since documented settlement of the Americas around twenty thousand years ago,” the article declares.

Global Threat to Ice Formations

Glaciers around the world are at risk amid the climate emergency. A research published in the month of May of the current year determined that nearly 40% of ice sheets are doomed to thaw because of global heating. If such heating increases by 2.7C, which the planet is presently on track for, as many as 75% will disappear, leading to ocean level increase and large-scale relocation.

Throughout the American west, ice formations have shrunk substantially since they were first documented in the late 19th century, according to the report.

Concentration on Major Glaciers

The recent study focuses on several Sierra Nevada glaciers – the Conness, Maclure, Lyell and Palisade glaciers – that are among the largest and probably oldest in the mountain chain. Their longevity amid global heating makes them “indicators” for studying glacier disappearance in the west, the study notes.

Study Techniques and Results

Scientists looked at recently exposed bedrock around the glaciers and took samples to ascertain how long the area was covered by ice. They determined that the ice masses have enveloped swaths of the mountain system for far longer than earlier believed – since before humans inhabited North America.

The state's glaciers reached their peak extents as long ago as 30,000 years ago, the article’s authors stated, and a particular of the ice bodies researchers studied is believed to have grown 7,000 years ago, earlier than once thought. The loss of glaciers, for the initial time in recorded history, demonstrates the profound effects of the climate crisis, a researcher of the study said.

Environmental and Symbolic Impact

“We’ll be the first to see the glacier-less summits,” said the study's lead researcher, 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 ice masses are tangible. They’re symbolic elements of the Western U.S..”