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Deep in California’s Sierra Nevada, enormous ice formations are vanishing and expected to dissolve completely by the beginning of the next century, resulting in ice-free peaks for the initial occasion in recorded human existence, new research has found.

Ancient Beginnings of Sierra Range Ice Masses

The mountain range’s ice sheets are more ancient than previously known, tracing back tens of thousands of years, with some as old as the most recent glacial period, according to an article published recently.

“Our pieced-together glacial history indicates that a future ice-free Sierra Nevada is unprecedented in the history of humankind since known peopling of the Americas around twenty thousand years ago,” the study states.

Global Threat to Ice Formations

Glaciers globally are under threat during the climate crisis. A study released in the month of May of this year found that nearly 40% of ice sheets are destined to thaw because of global heating. If such heating increases by 2.7C, which the planet is currently on course for, as up to 75% will disappear, causing ocean level increase and large-scale relocation.

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

Focus on Major Glaciers

The recent study centers on several Sierra Nevada glaciers – the Conness, Maclure, Lyell and Palisade ice sheets – that are among the biggest and probably oldest in the mountain chain. Their longevity during global heating makes them “indicators” for studying glacier disappearance in the western region, the study notes.

Study Techniques and Findings

Scientists examined recently exposed bedrock around the ice formations and collected specimens to ascertain how extensively the region was blanketed by ice. They found that the ice masses have enveloped swaths of the mountain system for much longer than earlier believed – since before people occupied North America.

California’s glacial sheets reached their peak extents as long ago as thirty thousand years ago, the study's researchers stated, and one of the glaciers experts looked at is thought to have expanded 7,000 years ago, sooner than once thought. The loss of glaciers, for the first time in recorded history, shows the profound effects of the climate change, one author of the investigation said.

Ecological and Representational Impact

“We’ll be the first to witness the glacier-less summits,” said the study's lead researcher, the study’s lead author. “This has environmental ramifications for plants and animals. And it’s a symbolic loss. Climate change is highly intangible, but these glaciers are tangible. They’re symbolic elements of the American West.”