By Laura Taylor • Published: 07 Jul 2020 • 14:00
Bad News: Ice is Quickly Melting in Italy Credit: Twitter @Rainmaker1973
According to researcher Biagio Di Mauro, from the Institute of Polar Sciences at the Italian National Research Council, the snow on the Presena Glacier in northern Italy is changing colour and turning pink.
This colour change is arguably a result of the algae Chlamydomonas nivalis, which appears in snowy landscapes during the Spring and Summer months when the snow is at its lowest levels. According to scientist Di Mauro, this ecosystem “creates the perfect environment for algae to grow”.
However, the presence of these algae is detrimental for the glacier since it accelerates the disappearance of snow and ice. By changing from a lighter to a darker colour, it absorbs more energy and melts the snow faster. The phenomenon happened on the Morteratsch glacier in Sweden, where other algae turned the snow purple.
This is not only occurring in Italy but across the entire globe as climate change is quickly melting the ice caps. In October, an investigation highlighted that Swedish glaciers had shrunk by 10% in the past five years.
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Laura Taylor is a graduate from the University of Leeds. At university, she obtained a Bachelors in Communication and Media, as well as a Masters in International Relations. She is half British and half Spanish and resides in Malaga. Her focus when writing news typically encompasses national Spanish news and local news from the Costa del Sol.
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