Ice Sheet Melt Will Lead to Ice-Free Peaks in California for First Time in Human History

Far in California’s Sierra mountain range, enormous glaciers are disappearing and expected to dissolve entirely by the beginning of the next century, resulting in summits without glaciers for the first time in human history, new research has discovered.

Age-Old Origins of Sierra Range Glaciers

The mountain range’s glaciers are older than previously known, dating back many thousands of years, with a few as old as the most recent glacial period, according to an article published recently.

“Our pieced-together ice age record shows that a coming glacier-free Sierra Nevada is without precedent in the history of humankind since known peopling of the Americas ~20,000 years ago,” the article declares.

Global Risk to Ice Formations

Ice masses globally are under threat amid the climate emergency. A research released in May of this year found that nearly 40% of ice sheets are doomed to thaw because of global heating. If this warming increases by 2.7C, which the planet is presently on track for, as up to seventy-five percent will vanish, leading to ocean level increase and large-scale relocation.

Throughout the Western United States, ice formations have diminished substantially since they were initially recorded in the late 19th century, according to the article.

Focus on Key Ice Bodies

The recent study centers on four Sierra Nevada glaciers – the Palisade, Lyell, Maclure and Conness glaciers – that are among the biggest and probably most ancient in the range. Their longevity during global heating makes them “bellwethers” for examining glacier disappearance in the west, the study notes.

Study Techniques and Findings

Researchers examined recently exposed bedrock around the glaciers and collected specimens to ascertain how extensively the region was blanketed by glacial ice. They determined that the glaciers have covered large areas of the range for much longer than earlier believed – since before humans occupied North America.

The state's glaciers attained their maximum positions as early as thirty thousand years ago, the study's researchers wrote, and a particular of the glaciers experts looked at is believed to have grown seven thousand years ago, sooner than previously believed. The loss of ice formations, for the initial time in recorded history, demonstrates the dramatic impacts of the climate change, a researcher 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 study’s lead author. “This has ecological implications for flora and fauna. And it’s a symbolic loss. Climate change is highly intangible, but these ice masses are concrete. They’re iconic features of the Western U.S..”