The algae that cause the red color in the snow was first described in the third century BC. by Aristotle. However, it was not officially identified until 2019 and it was given the Latin name Sanguina nivaloides.
Eric Marshall stands on a snowy slope about 2,500 feet[2,500 m]above sea level holding a deep red test tube. Inside there is a sample of algae known as “snow blood”, “Bloody snow”a phenomenon that accelerates the melting of alpine ice and for which scientists are concerned that it is spreading.
“This algae is green. “But when it’s in the snow, it accumulates a few pigments like sunscreen to protect itself,” said Marshall, director of research at the National Center for Scientific Research in Grenoble, who collects laboratory samples from colleagues on Mount Brevan.
At his feet, stripes of red snow shimmer in the sunlight.
Algae was first described in the third century BC. by Aristotle. However, it was not officially identified until 2019 and it was given the Latin name Sanguina nivaloides.
Scientists are now racing through time to better understand it before it’s too late, as snow volumes shrink due to rising global temperatures and the Alps are hit disproportionately hard.
“There is a double reason” to study algae, Marshall explains. “The first is that it is in an area that has not been explored much and the second is that this area, which has not been much explored, is melting before our eyes, so the matter is urgent,” he said.
Some scientists, including Alberto Amato, a researcher in genetic engineering at the CEA Center in Grenoble, say algae volumes appear to be growing due to climate change, as higher concentrations of carbon dioxide favor its growth.
The research continues and what is certain is that the presence of algae accelerates the melting of snowas its color reduces its ability to reflect the heat of the sun.
Other types of algae, including the purple variety, and smoke from forest fires have the same effect. If algae expand, melting snow and glaciers around the world could accelerate.
“The hotter it is, the more algae and the faster the snow melts,” says Amato. “It’s a vicious circle and we try to understand all the mechanisms in order to understand this cycle and try to do something.”
I have worked in the news industry for over 10 years. I have a vast amount of experience in covering health news. I am also an author at News Bulletin 247. I am highly experienced and knowledgeable in this field. I am a hard worker and always deliver quality work. I am a reliable source of information and always provide accurate information.
