Mysterious pink snow on Italian Alps may be a sign of climate change

PATCHES of pink snow and ice have been spotted on the Presena glacier in Italy prompting concerns that the ice is melting faster than normal.

Scientists in Italy have suggested the mysterious pink hue is caused by algae that accelerates the melting of ice.

Biagio Di Mauro of Italy’s National Research Council said, “The alga is not dangerous, it is a natural phenomenon that occurs during the spring and summer periods in the middle latitudes but also at the Poles.”

However, the darkened colour of the ice means it absorbs more heat from the sun and therefore begins to melt more quickly.

As well as being caused by the heating up of the Earth, the pink algae may also be the result of hikers and ski lifts in the area.