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Deep in California’s Sierra mountain range, massive glaciers are disappearing and expected to melt away entirely by the beginning of the coming hundred years, resulting in ice-free peaks for the initial occasion in human history, new research has found.

Age-Old Origins of Sierra Range Ice Masses

The mountain range’s glaciers are more ancient than previously known, tracing back many thousands of years, with a few as old as the most recent glacial period, according to a report published recently.

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

Global Threat to Glaciers

Glaciers globally are under threat during the climate emergency. A research released in May of this year found that nearly 40% of glaciers are destined to thaw because of climate warming. If such heating increases by 2.7C, which the world is currently on track for, as many as 75% will disappear, leading to sea level rise and mass displacement.

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

Focus on Key Ice Bodies

The new research centers on several Sierra Nevada glaciers – the Conness, Maclure, Lyell and Palisade glaciers – that are among the biggest and likely oldest in the range. Their durability amid climate warming makes them “indicators” for studying ice loss in the western region, the article states.

Research Methods and Results

Scientists examined recently exposed bedrock around the glaciers and collected specimens to determine how long the area was covered by glacial ice. They found that the ice masses have enveloped large areas of the range for far longer than previously known – since before people inhabited North America.

California’s glacial sheets reached their peak extents as long ago as 30,000 years ago, the article’s authors stated, and a particular of the glaciers experts studied is thought to have grown 7,000 years ago, sooner than once thought. The loss of glaciers, for the first time in recorded history, shows the dramatic effects of the climate change, a researcher of the investigation said.

Ecological and Symbolic Impact

“We’ll be the first to see the ice-free peaks,” said the study's lead researcher, the principal investigator. “This has environmental ramifications for plants and animals. And it’s a representational decline. Climate change is highly intangible, but these glaciers are tangible. They’re iconic features of the American West.”