Snow Algae Causing Italian Glacier To Turn Into Pink "Watermelon Snow"

Glacier, Glacier Paradiso, Paradiso Pass, Passo Tonale
Photo credit (Photo by Getty Images)

A rather common occurence at the Presena glacier in northern Italy is the appearance of "watermelon snow."

Algae causes the ice in the glacier to turn pink, and while it certainly is a sight to behold, it's not necessarily a good thing.

Researcher Biagio Di Mauro, of the Institute of Polar Sciences at Italy's National Research Council says the algae Chlamydomonas is responsible for the change in color, and unfortunately, darker colored snow metls faster.  Di Maurio told CNN, "It is for sure bad for the glacier."

Di Mauro has previously studied the Morteratsch glacier in Switzerland, where an alga called Ancylonema nordenskioeldii has caused the ice to turn purple.

Via CNN