General, Research, Technology

What caused the snow in Antarctica to turn red?

Currently working in cold AntarcticaMore than 90 scientific stations, the inhabitants of which conduct biological, geographical and meteorological studies. One of them is the Ukrainian Akademik Vernadsky station, whose staff recently reported that red snow had formed on their territory. Fortunately, no bloody massacre, like in horror films, happened in the snowy lands, and algae that can grow under extreme conditions were the cause of the unusual color of the snow. But how do they succeed, why did they suddenly grow and cover the snow with "bloody" spots?

Red snow colored algae Chlamydomonas nivalis

Briefly about the situation facedUkrainian scientists, told the scientific publication ScienceAlert. Having discovered red snow on the territory of the scientific station, scientists took its samples and began to study under a microscope. As it turned out, unicellular green algae, known as snow chlamydomonas (Chlamydomonas nivalis), gave an unusual color to the snow. According to the researchers, these microscopic algae are present in all the coldest regions of our planet, but in the winter season they are in a kind of hibernation. It is easy to guess that algae began to become active, because at the moment summer is dominating in the Antarctic.

This is how snow chlamydomonas (Chlamydomonas nivalis) look under a microscope

Why is snow red?

Researchers explained that when the sunbegins to heat the snow, the microscopic algae contained in it begin to use melt water for growth and development. By themselves, they are green, but over time they begin to turn orange or red, which protects them from the effects of ultraviolet radiation from the sun. Also, as they grow, they begin to absorb more moisture, thereby occupying an increasingly large area.

See also: In the Arctic, it snows with particles of plastic

Unfortunately, from developing in meltwaterseaweed is no use. In cold regions there are no animals that could feed on microscopic vegetation, and for people, red snow is generally poisonous. But at the same time, algae cause enormous damage to our planet, because they accelerate the process of melting snow, thereby raising the level of water in the oceans.

Red snow could cause sea level rise

In 2016, scientists conducted a study duringwhich found that algae does not allow snow to fully reflect the sun's rays. In particular, we are talking about the fact that red snow removes solar radiation by as much as 13% worse than pure. Because of this, the earth heats up more and snow melts even more, and the resulting meltwater continues to stimulate the growth of algae. It turns out some kind of vicious circle, which is gradually destroying our planet.

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In general, the coldest regions of our planet todaygoing through hard times. Recently, employees of the Argentinean Esperanza station reported that on February 6, 2020, the air temperature in Antarctica rose to a record 18.3 degrees Celsius. The sharp and rather impressive increase in air temperature, of course, had consequences. For example, in a week of warm weather, the snow cover of Eagle Island lost a huge part of its area. The Landsat 8 satellite photographs show that the coastal areas of the island are now devoid of snow, and huge meltwater deposits have formed in the middle of the island. You can read more about the consequences of abnormally warm weather in Antarctica in our special material.