Algae is not dangerous but shows the effect of climate change, say
scientists.
The Alps
have a new show: the appearance of pink glacial ice on the mountain range in
Italy. Scientists say the colour is caused by an algae and could be a sign of
how climate change is affecting the mountains.
While there are
debates about where the algae come from, "the pink snow observed on parts
of the Presena glacier is likely caused by the same plant found in
Greenland," Biagio Di Mauro of Italy’s National Research Council was
quoted as saying by AFP.
“The algae is not
dangerous, it is a natural phenomenon that occurs during the spring and summer
periods in the middle latitudes but also at the Poles,” Di Mauro added.
Normally ice
reflects more than 80% of the sun’s radiation back into the atmosphere, but as
algae appear, they darken the ice so that it absorbs the heat and melts more
quickly. The algae was first thought to be Ancylonema nordenskioeldii (a
glacier alga), but Di Mauro clarified in a tweet that it is more likely to be
Chlamydomonas nivalis (a snow alga).
According to
reports, tourists at the glacier lament the impact of climate
change. “Overheating of the planet is a problem, the last thing we needed
was algae,” said tourist Marta Durante to The Guardian.
More algae appear
as the ice melts more rapidly, giving them vital water and air and adding red
hues to the white ice at the Passo Gavia, altitude 2,618 metres (8,590 feet).
“Everything that darkens the snow causes it to melt because it accelerates the
absorption of radiation,” said Di Mauro. “We are trying to quantify the effect
of other phenomena besides the human one on the overheating of the Earth,” said
Di Mauro, noting that the presence of hikers and ski lifts could also have an
impact on the algae.
