Glacier Melt Is Set to Ice-Free Summits in the Golden State for First Instance in Recorded History

Deep in the state of Sierra mountain range, enormous glaciers are disappearing and expected to melt away entirely by the beginning of the next century, resulting in ice-free peaks for the first time in recorded human existence, new research has discovered.

Age-Old Beginnings of Sierra Range Glaciers

The mountain range’s ice sheets 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 released recently.

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

Global Risk to Glaciers

Glaciers globally are at risk amid the climate emergency. A research released in May of this year determined that nearly 40% of glaciers are doomed to thaw because of climate warming. If such heating rises by 2.7 degrees Celsius, which the world is presently on course for, as up to 75% will disappear, causing ocean level increase and large-scale relocation.

Throughout the Western United States, glaciers have shrunk significantly since they were initially recorded in the 1800s, according to the article.

Concentration on Major Glaciers

The recent study centers on four Sierra Nevada glacial masses – the Conness, Maclure, Lyell and Palisade ice sheets – that are among the biggest and likely oldest in the range. Their durability during global heating makes them “indicators” for studying ice loss in the western region, the study states.

Research Methods and Results

Scientists looked at newly uncovered base rock around the glaciers and collected specimens to determine how long the region was blanketed by glacial ice. They found that the glaciers have covered large areas of the mountain system for much longer than earlier believed – since prior to humans inhabited North America.

The state's glaciers reached their peak extents as long ago as 30,000 years ago, the study's researchers stated, and a particular of the glaciers researchers studied is thought to have expanded 7,000 years ago, earlier than once thought. The disappearance of ice formations, for the initial 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 initial ones to witness the ice-free peaks,” said the study's lead researcher, the principal investigator. “This has environmental ramifications for flora and fauna. And it’s a symbolic loss. Climate change is very abstract, but these glaciers are concrete. They’re iconic features of the American West.”