Ice Sheet Thawing Is Set to Ice-Free Summits in California for First Instance in Recorded History

Deep in California’s Sierra mountain range, enormous ice formations are disappearing and expected to dissolve completely by the start of the next century, leaving ice-free peaks for the initial occasion in human history, new research has found.

Age-Old Beginnings of Sierra Nevada Glaciers

The mountain range’s ice sheets are older than earlier understood, dating back tens of thousands of years, with some as ancient as the most recent glacial period, according to a report released last week.

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

Worldwide Threat to Ice Formations

Ice masses globally are under threat amid the climate emergency. 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 2.7C, which the world is currently on track for, as many as 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 Ice Bodies

The new research centers on several Sierra Nevada glacial masses – the Palisade, Lyell, Maclure and Conness glaciers – that are some of the largest and probably oldest in the mountain chain. Their longevity during climate warming makes them “indicators” for examining ice loss in the west, the study notes.

Research Methods and Results

Scientists examined newly uncovered bedrock around the glaciers and took samples to determine how long the area was covered by glacial ice. They found that the glaciers have enveloped swaths of the mountain system for much longer than earlier believed – since prior to people occupied North America.

California’s glacial sheets attained their peak extents as early as 30,000 years ago, the study's researchers wrote, and a particular of the glaciers experts looked at is believed to have expanded 7,000 years ago, sooner than previously believed. The loss of glaciers, for the first time in recorded history, shows the dramatic impacts of the climate change, one author of the study said.

Environmental and Representational Impact

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