The Color Of Snow

The Colors of Snow

Climate change is melting parts of Antarctica but now it’s also turning snow green, CBS News reported.

Green snow – which is actually green algae blooming across snowy surfaces – is not a completely unusual phenomenon, but a new study found it’s beginning to spread across the icy continent.

A research team used satellite data and fieldwork observations to create the first large-scale map of green algae in Antarctica.

The team spotted more than 1,600 separate algal blooms, and predicted that it will spread to other parts of the continent as the snow melts due to rising global temperatures.

They explained that the growth of algae was heavily influenced by marine birds and animal droppings, which act as good fertilizers for the microscopic organisms.

“This is a significant advance in our understanding of land-based life on Antarctica, and how it might change in the coming years as the climate warms,” said co-author Matt Davey.

The authors haven’t determined how exactly the blooming algae will affect the planet.

Algae play an important role in absorbing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere through photosynthesis. The algae blooms found by the team absorb about 500 tons of carbon each year.

However, they also darken the snow and absorb more heat from the sun – which impacts already rising sea levels.

Regardless, the amount of algae found is actually a conservative estimate, because the satellite was only capable of picking up green algae, missing its red and orange counterparts, the broadcaster wrote.

“The snow is multi-colored in places, with a palette of reds, oranges and greens,” said Davey. “It’s quite an amazing sight.”