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Far in the state of Sierra mountain range, massive ice formations are vanishing and expected to dissolve completely by the beginning of the coming hundred years, leaving summits without glaciers for the first time in recorded human existence, recent studies has discovered.

Ancient Beginnings of Sierra Nevada Glaciers

The mountain range’s glaciers are older than earlier understood, tracing back many thousands of years, with a few as old as the most recent glacial period, according to a report released last week.

“Our pieced-together glacial history shows that a future ice-free Sierra Nevada is without precedent in human history since known settlement of the Americas ~20,000 years ago,” the study states.

Worldwide Threat to Ice Formations

Ice masses around the world are under threat during the climate crisis. A research released in May of the current year determined 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 currently on track for, as up to 75% will vanish, causing sea level rise and mass displacement.

Throughout the Western United States, ice formations have shrunk significantly since they were first documented in the 1800s, according to the article.

Focus on Key Ice Bodies

The recent study centers on four Sierra Nevada glaciers – the Conness, Maclure, Lyell and Palisade glaciers – that are among the biggest and probably oldest in the range. Their longevity amid global heating makes them “bellwethers” for examining ice loss in the western region, the article notes.

Study Techniques and Findings

Scientists examined newly uncovered bedrock around the glaciers and took samples to ascertain how extensively the region was covered by ice. They found that the glaciers have enveloped large areas of the range for far longer than previously known – since before humans occupied North America.

The state's glacial sheets attained their peak extents as early as thirty thousand years ago, the article’s authors stated, and a particular of the ice bodies researchers studied is thought to have grown seven thousand years ago, earlier than previously believed. The loss of glaciers, for the initial time in recorded history, demonstrates the dramatic effects of the climate change, a researcher of the study said.

Ecological and Symbolic Consequences

“We’ll be the initial ones to witness the ice-free peaks,” said the study's lead researcher, 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 concrete. They’re iconic features of the American West.”