Glacier Melt Will Lead to Glacier-Less Peaks in the Golden State for First Instance in Recorded History

Far in California’s Sierra mountain range, enormous glaciers are disappearing and expected to melt away completely by the start of the next century, leaving summits without glaciers for the initial occasion in human history, recent studies has found.

Ancient Beginnings of Sierra Range Ice Masses

The range's glaciers are older than previously known, tracing back tens of thousands of years, with a few as old as the most recent glacial period, according to a report published recently.

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

Worldwide Risk to Ice Formations

Ice masses globally are under threat amid the climate crisis. A research published in May of this year determined that nearly 40% of ice sheets are destined to thaw because of global heating. If such heating increases by 2.7 degrees Celsius, which the world is currently on course for, as up to 75% will vanish, causing ocean level increase and mass displacement.

Throughout the American west, ice formations have shrunk substantially since they were initially recorded in the late 19th century, according to the article.

Focus on Major Ice Bodies

The new research centers on four Sierra Nevada glacial masses – the Conness, Maclure, Lyell and Palisade ice sheets – that are some of the biggest and probably oldest in the mountain chain. Their longevity amid global heating makes them “indicators” for studying glacier disappearance in the west, the article notes.

Study Techniques and Findings

Scientists looked at recently exposed bedrock around the ice formations and collected specimens to determine how extensively the area was blanketed by ice. They determined that the glaciers have covered large areas of the range for much longer than earlier believed – since prior to people occupied North America.

The state's glaciers attained their peak extents as early as thirty thousand years ago, the article’s authors stated, and a particular of the glaciers researchers looked at is believed to have expanded seven thousand years ago, sooner than previously believed. The disappearance of glaciers, for the initial time in recorded history, shows the dramatic effects of the climate change, a researcher of the investigation said.

Ecological and Symbolic Impact

“We’ll be the first to witness the ice-free peaks,” said Andrew Jones, the study’s lead author. “This has environmental ramifications for plants and animals. And it’s a symbolic loss. Global warming is very abstract, but these glaciers are concrete. They’re iconic features of the American West.”