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Far in California’s Sierra Nevada, massive ice formations are vanishing and projected to melt away completely by the start of the next century, resulting in ice-free peaks for the first time in human history, new research has found.

Age-Old Beginnings of Sierra Nevada Ice Masses

The range's glaciers are more ancient than earlier understood, tracing back many thousands of years, with some as old as the last ice age, according to a report published recently.

“Our pieced-together ice age record indicates that a coming glacier-free Sierra Nevada is without precedent in human history since documented peopling of the Americas ~20,000 years ago,” the study declares.

Worldwide Risk to Glaciers

Glaciers globally are at risk amid the climate emergency. A research released in May of this year determined that almost forty percent of ice sheets are doomed to melt because of global heating. If this warming increases by 2.7C, which the planet is currently on track for, as up to seventy-five percent will disappear, causing ocean level increase and large-scale relocation.

Across the Western United States, ice formations have shrunk significantly since they were first documented in the late 19th century, according to the article.

Focus on Major Ice Bodies

The new research focuses on several Sierra Nevada glacial masses – the Palisade, Lyell, Maclure and Conness glaciers – that are some of the biggest and probably most ancient in the mountain chain. Their longevity during climate warming makes them “bellwethers” for studying glacier disappearance in the western region, the study states.

Study Techniques and Findings

Researchers examined recently exposed bedrock around the glaciers and collected specimens to ascertain how long the area was covered by glacial ice. They found that the glaciers have enveloped swaths of the mountain system for far longer than earlier believed – since before people occupied North America.

The state's glaciers reached their peak extents as early as 30,000 years ago, the article’s authors wrote, and a particular of the glaciers experts looked at is believed to have expanded 7,000 years ago, sooner than once thought. The loss of glaciers, for the initial time in recorded history, demonstrates the dramatic effects of the climate crisis, a researcher of the study said.

Environmental and Symbolic Consequences

“We’ll be the initial ones to witness 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 highly intangible, but these glaciers are tangible. They’re iconic features of the Western U.S..”