🔗 Share this article Ice Sheet Thawing Will Lead to Glacier-Less Peaks in the Golden State for First Instance in Recorded History Far in the state of Sierra mountain range, massive glaciers are disappearing and projected to dissolve entirely by the beginning of the coming hundred years, resulting in ice-free peaks for the first time in human history, new research has found. Age-Old Origins of Sierra Range Glaciers The mountain range’s glaciers are older than previously known, dating back tens of thousands of years, with a few as old as the last ice age, according to an article published recently. “Our pieced-together ice age record indicates that a coming glacier-free Sierra Nevada is unprecedented in the history of humankind since documented peopling of the Americas ~20,000 years ago,” the article declares. Worldwide Risk to Ice Formations Ice masses globally are at risk amid the climate crisis. A study released in May of the current year determined that nearly 40% of glaciers are destined to melt because of climate warming. If such heating rises by 2.7 degrees Celsius, which the planet is currently on track for, as many as 75% will disappear, causing ocean level increase and mass displacement. Throughout the American west, glaciers have shrunk significantly since they were first documented in the late 19th century, according to the report. Focus on Major Ice Bodies The new research focuses on four Sierra Nevada glacial masses – the Conness, Maclure, Lyell and Palisade ice sheets – that are among the biggest and probably oldest in the range. Their durability amid global heating makes them “indicators” for examining ice loss in the western region, the study states. Study Techniques and Findings Scientists examined recently exposed bedrock around the ice formations and took samples to determine how long the area was covered by glacial ice. They determined that the ice masses have enveloped swaths of the range for much longer than earlier believed – since before people occupied North America. California’s glacial sheets attained their peak extents as long ago as 30,000 years ago, the study's researchers stated, and a particular of the glaciers experts studied is thought to have expanded 7,000 years ago, earlier than previously believed. The disappearance of ice formations, for the first time in recorded history, demonstrates the profound effects of the climate change, one author of the study said. Environmental and Symbolic Consequences “We’ll be the initial ones to see the ice-free peaks,” said the study's lead researcher, the principal investigator. “This has ecological ramifications for flora and fauna. And it’s a representational decline. Climate change is very abstract, but these ice masses are concrete. They’re iconic features of the American West.”