As California glaciers disappear, people will see ice-free peaks exposed for the first time in millennia

"For as long as there have been people in what is now California, the granite peaks of the Sierra Nevada have held masses of ice, according to new research that shows the glaciers have probably existed since the last Ice Age more than 11,000 years ago. The remnants of these glaciers, which have already shrunk dramatically since the late 1800s, are retreating year after year, and are projected to melt completely this century as global temperatures continue to rise."

"They found that at two large glaciers, one in Yosemite National Park and another bordering the park, the rocks have continuously been covered, most likely by ice, since the end of the last Ice Age. They also found that another smaller glacier, which has mostly melted, has probably existed for at least 7,000 years, longer than previously known. "It means that when these glaciers die off, we will be the first humans to see ice-free peaks in Yosemite,""

Glaciers in the Sierra Nevada have likely persisted since the last Ice Age, more than 11,000 years. Bedrock near glacier margins was chipped and rock samples analyzed to determine how long surfaces remained covered. Rocks at two large glaciers, one within Yosemite National Park and another bordering it, show continuous coverage, most likely by ice, since the end of the last Ice Age. A smaller glacier that has mostly melted likely persisted at least 7,000 years. These glaciers have shrunk dramatically since the late 1800s and are projected to disappear completely this century as global temperatures rise, producing ice-free peaks unseen in human presence.

Read at Los Angeles Times