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Far in the state of Sierra mountain range, massive glaciers are disappearing and expected to melt away entirely by the start of the next century, leaving summits without glaciers for the initial occasion in recorded human existence, new research has discovered.

Age-Old Origins of Sierra Nevada Ice Masses

The mountain range’s glaciers are older than previously known, tracing back many thousands of years, with some as old as the most recent glacial period, according to an article published last week.

“Our reconstructed ice age record indicates that a future ice-free Sierra Nevada is without precedent in human history since known peopling of the Americas around twenty thousand years ago,” the study states.

Worldwide Threat to Ice Formations

Glaciers around the world are under threat amid the climate crisis. A research released in the month of May of this year found that almost forty percent of glaciers are doomed to melt because of global heating. If such heating increases by 2.7 degrees Celsius, which the world is presently on track for, as many as 75% will vanish, leading to sea level rise and mass displacement.

Throughout the American west, glaciers have shrunk significantly since they were initially recorded in the 1800s, according to the article.

Focus on Major Ice Bodies

The recent study centers on several Sierra Nevada glaciers – the Conness, Maclure, Lyell and Palisade ice sheets – that are among the biggest and probably oldest in the mountain chain. Their durability amid climate warming makes them “indicators” for examining glacier disappearance in the west, the study notes.

Research Methods and Findings

Researchers examined newly uncovered bedrock around the glaciers and collected specimens to ascertain how extensively the area was covered by ice. They found that the glaciers have covered large areas of the mountain system for far longer than previously known – since before humans inhabited North America.

The state's glaciers reached their maximum positions as long ago as thirty thousand years ago, the article’s authors stated, and one of the ice bodies researchers studied is believed to have expanded 7,000 years ago, sooner than once thought. The disappearance of glaciers, for the first time in recorded history, shows the dramatic effects of the climate crisis, a researcher of the study said.

Ecological and Symbolic Impact

“We’ll be the initial ones to see the ice-free peaks,” said Andrew Jones, the study’s lead author. “This has environmental implications for flora and fauna. And it’s a symbolic loss. Global warming is highly intangible, but these ice masses are tangible. They’re iconic features of the American West.”