Strangely the snow turns watermelon color and sweet like sugar in summer

In the summer, some areas of ice and snow are covered with a light to dark red color, creating a strange sight known as "watermelon snow".

"Watermelon snow" is caused by an algae that contains a red pigment. The most common is the algae Chlamydomonas nivalis - a green algae that contains carotenoids, a red substance like carrots.

Snow turns pink in the Alps in 2021

The special feature of Chlamydomonas nivalis compared to other freshwater algae lies in its "preference" for cold environments. Algae Chlamydomonas nivalis likes to grow in snow and ice.

The cell walls of algae are very thick, acting as a "shield" of heat. Thanks to that, algae can still live in an environment of minus 40 degrees.

However, too cold weather will also inhibit algae activity. In other words, algae like to go… "hibernate".

The largest breeding season of the algae Chlamydomonas nivalis is in the summer, when the weather is less harsh. At the same time in the summer, the layers of ice and snow gradually melt, creating conditions for the red color of the algae to appear more clearly.

The darker the red color, the stronger the algae growth. In some areas, snow and ice are discolored by Chlamydomonas nivalis, like blood stains.

Watermelon snow in Antarctica in April

The most common place to encounter "watermelon snow" on Earth is Antarctica. Starting in late April and early May every year, the surface of many layers of ice and snow in Antarctica turns an interesting red color.

Then there are the high mountains or the sub-arctic regions - where there is still ice and snow in the summer.

Every summer, parts of the European Alps, the Himalayas in Asia, and the Andes in South America often turn red. In recent years, many people often wait for this interesting phenomenon to come and take pictures.

The cell fluid of the species Chlamydomonas nivalis often contains a lot of sugar and oil, so if you accidentally "taste" "watermelon snow", you will find it quite sweet.

"Watermelon snow" in the Alps

According to the scientific journal Science, the algae that cause "watermelon snow" are almost harmless to flora and fauna, because they often grow in cold areas, with few organisms.

However, the spread of the algae Chlamydomonas nivalis is an indication that in areas with year-round snow cover, more ice has melted in the summer. This also means that the Earth's temperature in the summer months has increased significantly.

Typically in the northern and southern polar regions, the increase in temperature is currently the highest in the world. It is estimated that the growth rate is 3 times the global average.

Many experts also expressed concern that when the ice layers are covered with red algae, the ice layers below will reduce their ability to reflect sunlight, thereby increasing the ice faster.