Glacier Thawing Will Lead to Ice-Free Peaks in the Golden State for First Time in Recorded History

Deep in the state of Sierra mountain range, massive glaciers are disappearing and expected to melt away entirely by the beginning of the next century, leaving ice-free peaks for the initial occasion in human history, new research has found.

Ancient Beginnings of Sierra Range Glaciers

The range's ice sheets are older than earlier understood, tracing back many thousands of years, with some as old as the most recent glacial period, according to a report published last week.

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

Worldwide Threat to Glaciers

Glaciers around the world are under threat during the climate crisis. A research released in May of the current year determined that nearly 40% of glaciers are destined to thaw because of climate warming. If such heating rises by 2.7C, which the world is currently on track for, as up to seventy-five percent will disappear, causing sea level rise and mass displacement.

Across the American west, glaciers have shrunk significantly since they were initially recorded in the late 19th century, according to the article.

Concentration on Key Ice Bodies

The recent study centers on several Sierra Nevada glaciers – the Conness, Maclure, Lyell and Palisade ice sheets – that are some of the largest and probably oldest in the mountain chain. Their longevity during global heating makes them “indicators” for examining ice loss in the western region, the study states.

Research Methods and Results

Scientists examined newly uncovered base rock around the ice formations and took samples to determine how extensively the area was covered by ice. They determined that the ice masses have covered swaths of the mountain system for much longer than earlier believed – since before humans inhabited North America.

California’s glaciers attained their maximum positions as long ago as thirty thousand years ago, the article’s authors stated, and one of the ice bodies experts looked at is believed to have grown seven thousand years ago, sooner than once thought. The loss of glaciers, for the first time in recorded history, demonstrates the profound impacts of the climate change, one author of the study said.

Environmental and Symbolic Consequences

“We’ll be the first to see the ice-free peaks,” said the study's lead researcher, the principal investigator. “This has environmental implications for plants and animals. And it’s a symbolic loss. Climate change is very abstract, but these glaciers are concrete. They’re iconic features of the American West.”