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Deep in the state of Sierra mountain range, enormous ice formations are vanishing and expected to melt away entirely by the start of the next century, leaving ice-free peaks for the initial occasion in human history, new research has discovered.

Age-Old Beginnings of Sierra Range Glaciers

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

“Our reconstructed ice age record indicates that a coming glacier-free Sierra Nevada is without precedent in the history of humankind since documented settlement of the Americas ~20,000 years ago,” the article states.

Worldwide Threat to Glaciers

Glaciers globally are under threat amid the climate emergency. A research released in May of the current year determined that nearly 40% of glaciers are doomed to thaw because of global heating. If such heating rises by 2.7C, which the world is currently on track for, as many as seventy-five percent will vanish, causing ocean level increase and large-scale relocation.

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

Focus on Key Ice Bodies

The recent study centers on several Sierra Nevada glacial masses – the Palisade, Lyell, Maclure and Conness glaciers – that are some of the biggest and probably most ancient in the range. Their durability during climate warming makes them “bellwethers” for studying ice loss in the western region, the article notes.

Study Techniques and Results

Researchers examined newly uncovered base rock around the ice formations and took samples to ascertain how extensively the region was blanketed by glacial ice. They found that the ice masses have covered large areas of the mountain system for far longer than earlier believed – since before humans inhabited North America.

The state's glaciers attained their maximum positions as long ago as thirty thousand years ago, the study's researchers wrote, and a particular of the glaciers researchers looked at is believed to have grown seven thousand years ago, earlier than previously believed. The loss of glaciers, for the initial time in human history, demonstrates the profound effects of the climate change, a researcher of the investigation said.

Environmental and Representational Impact

“We’ll be the initial ones to witness the ice-free peaks,” said Andrew Jones, the principal investigator. “This has environmental implications for flora and fauna. And it’s a symbolic loss. Global warming is highly intangible, but these ice masses are concrete. They’re symbolic elements of the American West.”