Glacier Melt Will Lead to Glacier-Less Summits in California for First Time in Recorded History

Deep in the state of Sierra Nevada, massive ice formations are disappearing and expected to melt away completely by the start of the coming hundred years, leaving ice-free peaks for the first time in recorded human existence, recent studies has found.

Ancient Beginnings of Sierra Nevada Ice Masses

The range's ice sheets are more ancient than previously known, dating back tens of thousands of years, with some as ancient as the most recent glacial period, according to an article published last week.

“Our reconstructed ice age record indicates that a future glacier-free Sierra Nevada is unprecedented in human history since documented settlement of the Americas ~20,000 years ago,” the study states.

Worldwide Threat to Ice Formations

Glaciers globally are at risk during the climate crisis. A research published in May of this year determined that nearly 40% of glaciers are destined to thaw because of global heating. If this warming increases by 2.7 degrees Celsius, which the planet is presently on track for, as up to 75% will vanish, causing ocean level increase and large-scale relocation.

Throughout the American west, glaciers have diminished significantly since they were first documented in the late 19th century, according to the report.

Concentration on Key Glaciers

The recent study focuses on four Sierra Nevada glacial masses – the Conness, Maclure, Lyell and Palisade ice sheets – that are among the biggest and probably most ancient in the mountain chain. Their longevity amid climate warming makes them “bellwethers” for examining ice loss in the western region, the article notes.

Study Techniques and Results

Researchers examined recently exposed bedrock around the ice formations and collected specimens to ascertain how long the area was blanketed by ice. They determined that the glaciers have covered swaths of the mountain system for far longer than earlier believed – since before humans occupied North America.

The state'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 believed to have grown 7,000 years ago, sooner than once thought. The disappearance of ice formations, for the first time in recorded history, shows the profound impacts of the climate crisis, a researcher of the investigation said.

Environmental and Symbolic Impact

“We’ll be the first to see the ice-free peaks,” said Andrew Jones, the principal investigator. “This has ecological ramifications for plants and animals. And it’s a representational decline. Global warming is highly intangible, but these glaciers are concrete. They’re symbolic elements of the American West.”