Pink Snow as seen on Presena Glacier.
Miguel Medina / Getty Images
Pink snow, also called “watermelon snow,” appeared on the Presena glacier in northern Italy, according to researcher Biagio Di Mauro of the Institute for Polar Sciences of the National Research Council of Italy. While it’s not uncommon for the Italian Alps to be “pretty pink” in the spring and summer, scientists are wary when the algae-caused phenomenon begins to occur more frequently.
Di Mauro told CNN that the lack of snowfall in 2020 and the higher temperatures have fueled the growth of the algae. More algae could make the ice melt faster.
When Di Mauro tweeted a clarification for an article in The Guardian, he said the algae was likely Chlamydomonas nivalis, a snow algae. He also said that the relationship of algae to climate change has not yet been proven.
Di Mauro tweeted photos of the pink snow on Monday.
Across the ocean, in late May, Antarctica reported green snow, caused by microscopic algae. Although microscopic, satellites can see green flowers. Color could also have connections to the impact of hot weather, the researchers said.
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