Hot weather stimulates a type of red pigmented algae to grow and causes the ice to change color abnormally.
On February 24, the Ukrainian Ministry of Science and Education posted photos of watermelon snow or bloody snow in Antarctica on social media. Ukraine National Science Center said that Chlamydomonas nivalis algae are the cause of this phenomenon.
Chlamydomonas nivalis is a type of green algae but contains an additional red pigment to protect them from UV rays. Unlike most freshwater algae, they grow in cold areas. The red color absorbs sunlight, melts snow, and provides more water for algae growth. The watermelon snow phenomenon also occurs in the Arctic, the Alps and some other mountainous regions.
The unusually warm weather in Antarctica prompted this phenomenon to occur earlier, according to scientists. In early February, the temperature at the Esperanza research station in Antarctica hit a record high of 18.3 degrees Celsius.
Chlamydomonas nivalis “hibernates” during the cold months. But when spring arrives, sunlight, water from melting snow, and abundant nutrients stimulate them to multiply.
Fox News
