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Deep in the state of Sierra Nevada, enormous glaciers are disappearing and expected to dissolve entirely by the start of the next century, resulting in ice-free peaks for the first time in recorded human existence, recent studies has found.

Ancient Origins of Sierra Nevada Ice Masses

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

“Our reconstructed ice age record shows that a future glacier-free Sierra Nevada is unprecedented in the history of humankind since known settlement of the Americas ~20,000 years ago,” the article declares.

Global Risk to Ice Formations

Ice masses globally are at risk during the climate crisis. A study released in the month of May of the current year found that nearly 40% of glaciers are destined to melt because of climate warming. If such heating increases by 2.7 degrees Celsius, which the planet is presently on course for, as up to 75% will vanish, causing sea level rise and mass displacement.

Throughout the Western United States, glaciers have shrunk substantially since they were first documented in the 1800s, according to the article.

Concentration on Key Ice Bodies

The recent study centers on four Sierra Nevada glaciers – the Conness, Maclure, Lyell and Palisade ice sheets – that are some of the largest and likely oldest in the mountain chain. Their longevity amid global heating makes them “indicators” for studying ice loss in the western region, the study states.

Study Techniques and Results

Researchers looked at newly uncovered bedrock around the ice formations and collected specimens to determine how extensively the area was covered by ice. They determined that the glaciers have covered large areas of the mountain system for far longer than previously known – since prior to humans occupied North America.

California’s glaciers reached their maximum positions as early as thirty thousand years ago, the study's researchers stated, and a particular of the glaciers experts looked at is thought to have grown seven thousand years ago, sooner than once thought. The loss of glaciers, for the initial time in recorded history, shows the profound effects of the climate change, one author of the investigation said.

Environmental and Representational Impact

“We’ll be the first to witness the glacier-less summits,” said Andrew Jones, the principal investigator. “This has ecological implications for flora and fauna. And it’s a representational decline. Climate change is highly intangible, but these ice masses are concrete. They’re iconic features of the American West.”