Sierra Nevada Glaciers Have Survived For 30,000 Years — Now They’re On The Brink of Vanishing
Yosemite National Park, located in California, United States, is renowned for a variety of reasons, but the glaciers present here are among the most impressive natural features. Even today, these ancient ice formations continue to shape the nearby landscape and impact the local rivers and ecosystems. However, these majestic formations are now facing an uncertain future. Experts have raised serious concerns that rising temperatures in the region can melt these ancient ice formations, potentially leaving the Sierra Nevada mountains without any ice for the first time in thousands of years. New research suggests that these Yosemite glaciers could disappear entirely within the next 75 years, or possibly even sooner.
The findings of the research were revealed in a study titled, ‘Glaciers in California’s Sierra Nevada are likely disappearing for the first time in the Holocene.’ It was published in the journal Science Advances. According to research, the Sierra Nevada’s glaciers have been present at the same spot since the last ice age. They expanded to their largest size around 30,000 years ago, long before humans even arrived in the region. This means that no one has ever seen the Sierra Nevada without its glaciers—until now. But these glaciers have definitely grown and shrunk with the changes in the climate.
As reported by Live Science, the glaciers of the Sierra Nevada may have almost disappeared in the early Holocene, before returning about 3,000 years ago. For the recently published research, experts studied rocks near four glaciers in the national park. It included Conness, Maclure, Lyell, and Palisade. While studying these glaciers, they were looking for special carbon and beryllium changes made by cosmic rays, as this only happens when rocks are exposed to sunlight. The results indicate that while the underlying rocks have been exposed at times, the glaciers have always remained in place.
Andrew Jones, one of the lead researchers of the study from the University of Wisconsin, Madison, spoke about this and said, “It means that when these glaciers die off, we will be the first humans to see ice-free peaks in Yosemite.” As reported by the Los Angeles Times, Jones further noted that most of the glaciers that he and his team studied in California have shrunk dramatically, losing roughly 70% to 90% of their ice since the late 19th century. Photographs and videos from the past also reveal just how much the Sierra glaciers have melted over time.
Jones also said, “Glaciers are touchstones between the past and the present, and it’s just so visceral when you can see how it used to be and how it is today.” Rising temperatures due to global warming are the main factor causing Sierra Nevada’s snow to melt. Scientists revealed that California’s summers are about 3.6°F warmer than a century ago, and the glaciers react quickly to these changes. Meanwhile, Jones explained that while California’s glaciers are shrinking, other massive glaciers across the world still hold much of their ice. Therefore, even if we reduce the use of fossil fuels now, we could help protect these glaciers from melting further.
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