Climate change is turning the snow in Antarctica bright green. Scientists are able to see it from space.

[Disir]

The snow in Antarctica is turning green and scientists say climate change may be to blame.

According to a study published in the peer-reviewed Nature Communications, microscopic algae blooms across the surface of the snow is slowly turning Antarctica’s wintry, white landscape green. Although microscopic, scientists say they're able to see the "green snow" from space when the algae blooms en masse.

Climate change is turning the snow in Antarctica bright green. Scientists are able to see it from space.

Researchers from the University of Cambridge and the British Antarctic Survey created a map of green snow algae along the Antarctic Peninsula coast.

www.usatoday.com

That's kind of wild.

 

[ABikerSailor]

The snow in Antarctica is turning green and scientists say climate change may be to blame.

According to a study published in the peer-reviewed Nature Communications, microscopic algae blooms across the surface of the snow is slowly turning Antarctica’s wintry, white landscape green. Although microscopic, scientists say they're able to see the "green snow" from space when the algae blooms en masse.

Climate change is turning the snow in Antarctica bright green. Scientists are able to see it from space.

Researchers from the University of Cambridge and the British Antarctic Survey created a map of green snow algae along the Antarctic Peninsula coast.

www.usatoday.com

That's kind of wild.

Up in the mountains on the west side of Montana, in the mountains around Lolo, there is a snowfield above the rock line that I saw once on a camping trip that had pink snow that smelled like watermelon, much like the pink snow they showed in your article.

Was kinda funny too, because nobody believed us about it. Matter of fact, my room mate thought I was pulling her leg when I told her about it, at least, up until we saw a nature program that showed the same thing.

I wonder if this algae is gonna cause the snow to melt even faster?

 

[Disir]

I don't know. .

 

[RetiredGySgt]

Ohh NOES we are all DOOMED DOOMED I say.

 

[depotoo]

Actually, it is normal. They have just recently started mapping it.-


Scientists already knew that snow algae were a part of the coastal Antarctic ecosystem. But the study led by Andrew Gray of the University of Cambridge is one of the first to map out where these blooms are occurring and what kinds of conditions they need to survive.

That information, in turn, could help scientists predict how algae may fare as climate change warms the South Pole.

The mapping project suggests that higher temperatures and a steady supply of nutrients are key to the success of summer snow algae. The blooms tend to appear in places where summer temperatures creep above freezing. And they’re often found near penguin colonies or other animal communities.

In Summer, Antarctic Snow Turns Green with Algae

Climate change could impact where the blooms, likely important to the local ecosystem, appear

www.scientificamerican.com

 

[Newtonian]

Actually, it is normal. They have just recently started mapping it.-


Scientists already knew that snow algae were a part of the coastal Antarctic ecosystem. But the study led by Andrew Gray of the University of Cambridge is one of the first to map out where these blooms are occurring and what kinds of conditions they need to survive.

That information, in turn, could help scientists predict how algae may fare as climate change warms the South Pole.

The mapping project suggests that higher temperatures and a steady supply of nutrients are key to the success of summer snow algae. The blooms tend to appear in places where summer temperatures creep above freezing. And they’re often found near penguin colonies or other animal communities.

In Summer, Antarctic Snow Turns Green with Algae

Climate change could impact where the blooms, likely important to the local ecosystem, appear

www.scientificamerican.com

True.

And one of a number of possible dangerous feedback loops Greta Thunberg had reference to.

White reflects more solar radiation than any color - green, pink, etc. Thus this colored snow will absorb more solar radiation and will both increase surface temperature and surface melting.

Increased surface temperature will produce more algae coloring of snow - that is a dangerous feedback loop!

 

[mamooth]

What's really weird is the ice worms. I thought someone was pulling my leg with that one. No, there really are ice worms. They eat the ice algae. They're found in the Pacific northwest and Alaska glaciers.

Do ice worms exist? | U.S. Geological Survey

Yes, ice worms do, in fact, exist! They are small worms that live in glacial ice in Alaska, Washington, Oregon, and British Columbia; they have not been found in glaciers elsewhere. Contrary to stories and songs, they do not give glacier ice its blue color and they don't grow to lengths of 50...

www.usgs.gov

 

[Old Rocks]

The snow in Antarctica is turning green and scientists say climate change may be to blame.

According to a study published in the peer-reviewed Nature Communications, microscopic algae blooms across the surface of the snow is slowly turning Antarctica’s wintry, white landscape green. Although microscopic, scientists say they're able to see the "green snow" from space when the algae blooms en masse.

Climate change is turning the snow in Antarctica bright green. Scientists are able to see it from space.

Researchers from the University of Cambridge and the British Antarctic Survey created a map of green snow algae along the Antarctic Peninsula coast.

www.usatoday.com

That's kind of wild.

Up in the mountains on the west side of Montana, in the mountains around Lolo, there is a snowfield above the rock line that I saw once on a camping trip that had pink snow that smelled like watermelon, much like the pink snow they showed in your article.

Was kinda funny too, because nobody believed us about it. Matter of fact, my room mate thought I was pulling her leg when I told her about it, at least, up until we saw a nature program that showed the same thing.

I wonder if this algae is gonna cause the snow to melt even faster?

Yes, it does.

Algae growing on snow found to cause ice field to melt faster in Alaska

(Phys.org)—A team of researchers from several institutions in the U.S. has found that algae growing on packed snow causes the snow to melt faster. In their paper published in the journal Nature Geoscience, the team describes testing the impact of algae growing on snow and measuring its impact on...

phys.org

(Phys.org)—A team of researchers from several institutions in the U.S. has found that algae growing on packed snow causes the snow to melt faster. In their paper published in the journal Nature Geoscience, the team describes testing the impact of algae growing on snow and measuring its impact on an Alaskan ice field.

 

[Newtonian]

One of

The snow in Antarctica is turning green and scientists say climate change may be to blame.

According to a study published in the peer-reviewed Nature Communications, microscopic algae blooms across the surface of the snow is slowly turning Antarctica’s wintry, white landscape green. Although microscopic, scientists say they're able to see the "green snow" from space when the algae blooms en masse.

Climate change is turning the snow in Antarctica bright green. Scientists are able to see it from space.

Researchers from the University of Cambridge and the British Antarctic Survey created a map of green snow algae along the Antarctic Peninsula coast.

www.usatoday.com

That's kind of wild.

Up in the mountains on the west side of Montana, in the mountains around Lolo, there is a snowfield above the rock line that I saw once on a camping trip that had pink snow that smelled like watermelon, much like the pink snow they showed in your article.

Was kinda funny too, because nobody believed us about it. Matter of fact, my room mate thought I was pulling her leg when I told her about it, at least, up until we saw a nature program that showed the same thing.

I wonder if this algae is gonna cause the snow to melt even faster?

Yes, it does.

Algae growing on snow found to cause ice field to melt faster in Alaska

(Phys.org)—A team of researchers from several institutions in the U.S. has found that algae growing on packed snow causes the snow to melt faster. In their paper published in the journal Nature Geoscience, the team describes testing the impact of algae growing on snow and measuring its impact on...

phys.org

(Phys.org)—A team of researchers from several institutions in the U.S. has found that algae growing on packed snow causes the snow to melt faster. In their paper published in the journal Nature Geoscience, the team describes testing the impact of algae growing on snow and measuring its impact on an Alaskan ice field.

One of many dangerous feed-back loops as I posted above. Thank you for posting from phys.org - it is a good science source.