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Far in the state of Sierra mountain range, massive glaciers are vanishing and expected to dissolve completely by the start of the coming hundred years, leaving ice-free peaks for the first time in recorded human existence, new research has discovered.

Age-Old Beginnings of Sierra Range Ice Masses

The range's glaciers are older than previously known, dating back many thousands of years, with some as ancient as the most recent glacial period, according to a report released last week.

“Our pieced-together ice age record shows that a future ice-free Sierra Nevada is unprecedented in human history since documented settlement of the Americas ~20,000 years ago,” the study states.

Global Risk to Ice Formations

Ice masses around the world are at risk amid the climate crisis. A research published in the month of May of the current year determined that nearly 40% of glaciers are destined to thaw because of climate warming. If such heating increases by 2.7C, which the world is presently on track for, as many as seventy-five percent will vanish, leading to ocean level increase and large-scale relocation.

Across the Western United States, ice formations have shrunk substantially since they were initially recorded in the late 19th century, according to the article.

Concentration on Major Glaciers

The new research focuses on four Sierra Nevada glaciers – the Palisade, Lyell, Maclure and Conness ice sheets – that are among the biggest and likely most ancient in the mountain chain. Their durability amid global heating makes them “indicators” for examining ice loss in the western region, the article states.

Research Methods and Findings

Scientists looked at newly uncovered bedrock around the glaciers and took samples to ascertain how extensively the area was covered by glacial ice. They found that the glaciers have enveloped swaths of the mountain system for far longer than previously known – since before humans inhabited North America.

California’s glacial sheets attained their peak extents as early as 30,000 years ago, the study's researchers stated, and one of the ice bodies researchers looked at is thought to have grown seven thousand years ago, sooner than previously believed. The loss of ice formations, for the initial time in recorded history, demonstrates the profound impacts of the climate change, a researcher of the investigation said.

Environmental and Symbolic Impact

“We’ll be the first to see the glacier-less summits,” said Andrew Jones, the principal investigator. “This has environmental implications for flora and fauna. And it’s a symbolic loss. Climate change is highly intangible, but these ice masses are tangible. They’re iconic features of the Western U.S..”