Algae turns Italian Alps pink causing climate change concerns

Scientists have discovered pink glacial ice in the Alps, Italy which is caused by the presence of algae, the algae reportedly also accelerate the effects of climate change. According to Biagio Di Mauro of Italy’s National Research Council, the pink algae found in the Alps is a natural occurrence and is similar to the plant found in Greenland.

Algae not dangerous but speeds up melting process

According to reports, Di Mauro has stated that the algae are not dangerous and are naturally found during spring and summer times. He added that the algae is found at the middle latitudes but is also found al the North and South Poles. The pink ice causing algae is called Ancylonema nordenskioeldii.

Image courtesy: @italiasingapore

As per reports, ice sheets usually reflect 80 per cent of the sun’s powerful radiation back towards the sky and thereby slowing down the process of melting.  But the algae make the ice darker so that the ice sheets instead of reflecting the sun’s rays absorb them and this results in an increase in the speed of melting.

As the ice melts faster, more algae are exposed to idea growth conditions because they now have access to water, air and sunlight. This adds a red/pinkish hue to the ice that in turn speeds up the process even more.

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Similar occurrence to what is happening in the Alps have happened in other regions as well. In the Antarctic Peninsula, the snow has reportedly been turning green due to the blooming algae which are likely to spread as temperatures increases as a result of climate change. According to the researchers, the green snow algae multiplies in warm temperatures and gets habitable in the regions of wet snow.

As per a study that was published on May 20, the algae present in the Antarctic Peninsula are microscopic organisms, when the organisms grow simultaneously, they turn the snow bright green and can even be spotted from space.

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Read: Antarctica Snow Is Turning Green, Climate Change To Fuel Blooming Algae Growth: Study

The warmer areas in the Antarctic coastline are usually seen with patches of the green snow algae. The average temperature in the coastline is little above zero degrees Celsius during the Southern Hemisphere's summer months of November to February, the study added.