The glacier on the mountain of New Zealand turns red

Severe forest fires or strong dust storms in Australia can cause glaciers to change color.

The glacier on top of the mountain in New Zealand has changed abnormally.(Photo: Liz Carlson).

Photographer Liz Carlson photographed the landscape while riding a helicopter flying over Mount Aspiring National Park, South Island, New Zealand, Science Alert today reported. She thinks the glaciers have an unusual color due to severe forest fires in Australia in recent months.

"It's amazing to see the impact of wildfires in places as far away as these. Glaciers are at stake. Climate change has serious consequences that we can't ignore , " Carlson said. comment.

The layer of red material covering the glacier.(Photo: Liz Carlson).

Experts do not know the exact reason why these glaciers turn red. Chris Brandolino, a scientist at the New Zealand National Institute of Water and Atmosphere (NIWA), thinks it could be carbon black or carbon materials from burnt wood.

However, this could also be the red dust blown from Australia, a phenomenon that happened in New Zealand. Australia's topsoil is rich in iron oxide so it is red. In recent months, in addition to forest fires, Australia has also experienced a number of strong dust storms. Last month, a dust storm caused Mildura, Victoria, to turn red while temperatures reached 40 degrees Celsius.

Whether the red cover on New Zealand's top is dirt, soot or a completely different substance, it still needs a combination of factors to cross the Tasman Sea."First, there needs to be smoke or dust in the air. Next, the wind direction must be appropriate. The two factors at the same time lead to this phenomenon," Brandolino explained. He also said that severe forest fires in Australia contributed to the glacial red.

Carlson's snapshot shows how the ecosystems on Earth are connected. Pollution can spread to the most remote areas. Natural weather events can also become intense when the Earth's climate changes rapidly. Climate change does not directly cause forest fires. However, the warmer climate makes forest fires this year in Australia more serious.

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