Pink Snow in Alps Indicates Climate Change
Scientists are reporting on their concern for a strange phenomenon occurring in the northern Italian Alps. The algae ridden Presena glacier is turning pink which, researchers say, will cause the ice to melt. While it’s not an uncommon occurrence in the region during spring and summer months, they’ve observed this particular bloom of algae is larger than usual. Low amounts of precipitation, combined with higher temperatures, are creating a condition perfect for the algae to grow larger. This is bad news for the environment because when glaciers turn dark from algae, they absorb more energy from the sun which causes increased melting. This can have an impact on sea levels rising, and if more glaciers world wide experience this occurrence, sea levels could potentially rise as much as five feet. Leading Italian science researcher, Biagio DiMauro, plans to continue studying the bloom’s concentration utilizing satellite technology.
Doug Garfinkel has been a writer for over 30 years, working on a wide variety of websites and publications. He currently works as a High School teacher in Great Neck, NY, while continuing to write.