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Far in the state of Sierra mountain range, massive glaciers are disappearing and expected to dissolve completely by the start of the coming hundred years, resulting in summits without glaciers for the initial occasion in human history, new research has discovered.

Age-Old Origins of Sierra Range Ice Masses

The range's ice sheets are more ancient than previously known, tracing back tens of thousands of years, with a few as ancient as the last ice age, according to an article released last week.

“Our reconstructed ice age record shows that a coming ice-free Sierra Nevada is without precedent in human history since documented peopling of the Americas ~20,000 years ago,” the study states.

Global Threat to Glaciers

Ice masses around the world are under threat during the climate crisis. A study published in the month of May of the current year found that nearly 40% of ice sheets are doomed to thaw because of climate warming. If such heating increases by 2.7C, which the world is presently on track for, as many as seventy-five percent will disappear, leading to sea level rise and large-scale relocation.

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

Focus on Key Ice Bodies

The new research focuses on four Sierra Nevada glaciers – the Palisade, Lyell, Maclure and Conness ice sheets – that are some of the largest and likely most ancient in the mountain chain. Their longevity amid climate warming makes them “indicators” for studying glacier disappearance in the western region, the article states.

Study Techniques and Findings

Scientists looked at recently exposed bedrock around the ice formations and took samples 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 previously known – since before humans occupied North America.

California’s glacial sheets reached their maximum positions as long ago as thirty thousand years ago, the article’s authors stated, and a particular of the ice bodies researchers studied is believed to have grown 7,000 years ago, sooner than once thought. The disappearance of glaciers, for the first time in human history, demonstrates the dramatic effects of the climate crisis, a researcher of the investigation said.

Environmental and Representational Impact

“We’ll be the first to see the glacier-less summits,” said Andrew Jones, the study’s lead author. “This has environmental ramifications for flora and fauna. And it’s a symbolic loss. Climate change is highly intangible, but these glaciers are tangible. They’re iconic features of the American West.”