Algae that tinge snow red are to blame for about a sixth of the snowmelt at an Alaskan ice field Microbes are pushing glacial snow into the red. An alga species that grows on glaciers gives the ...

Bright white snow reflects sunlight, but when this red algae begins to spread in an area, it lowers the overall reflective properties of the snow, welcoming more heat to be absorbed, prompting ...

including "pink snow," "red snow," and the far more haunting "blood snow;" but "watermelon snow" is actually a natural process caused by feisty algae known as Chlamydomonas nivalis. Although these ...

A recent study finds that algae can store nutrients, potentially allowing them to spread across more of the ice sheet, ...

However, especially where the glaciers are not covered in snow and the bare ice is exposed, they sometimes have dark patches. These are microscopic algae that grow on the ice and darken its surface.

The snow starts to melt. Flowers and plants break through the ice gasping for light. And the algae living on the ice sheet blooms, darkening the ice. It's been like that for thousands of years.