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Far in the state of Sierra mountain range, massive glaciers are disappearing and projected to melt away entirely by the start of the coming hundred years, resulting in ice-free peaks for the initial occasion in recorded human existence, new research has found.

Ancient Origins of Sierra Nevada Glaciers

The mountain range’s glaciers are older than earlier understood, dating back tens of thousands of years, with some as ancient as the most recent glacial period, according to an article published recently.

“Our pieced-together ice age record shows that a coming glacier-free Sierra Nevada is unprecedented in human history since documented peopling of the Americas around twenty thousand years ago,” the study declares.

Worldwide Threat to Ice Formations

Glaciers around the world are under threat during the climate crisis. A study released in May of the current year determined that almost forty percent of glaciers are destined to thaw because of climate warming. If such heating rises by 2.7 degrees Celsius, which the world is currently on track for, as up to 75% will vanish, leading to sea level rise and mass displacement.

Throughout the Western United States, ice formations have diminished significantly since they were first documented in the 1800s, according to the report.

Focus on Major Ice Bodies

The new research centers on several Sierra Nevada glacial masses – the Conness, Maclure, Lyell and Palisade glaciers – that are some of the largest and likely oldest in the range. Their durability during global heating makes them “bellwethers” for studying glacier disappearance in the western region, the study notes.

Study Techniques and Results

Researchers examined newly uncovered bedrock around the glaciers and collected specimens to determine how long the area was covered by glacial ice. They found that the glaciers have enveloped swaths of the range for far longer than previously known – since before humans inhabited North America.

California’s glaciers reached their maximum positions as early as 30,000 years ago, the study's researchers stated, and one of the ice bodies experts looked at is believed to have grown 7,000 years ago, earlier than previously believed. The disappearance of ice formations, for the initial time in human history, shows the dramatic effects of the climate change, one author of the study said.

Ecological and Representational Impact

“We’ll be the first to see the glacier-less summits,” 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 ice masses are tangible. They’re iconic features of the American West.”