What next big thing in ‘Bloody Snow’ or ‘Glacier Blood’ or ‘Watermelon snow’?

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The red spots on snow are not blood stains, but still a sign of huge concern for our future.(Watermelon snow, bloody snow, glacier blood, blood falls, snow algae, red snow)

Researchers are examining the mysterious phenomena ‘bloody snow’ or ‘glacier blood’ and how it is related to climate change.

These are the tiny red dots caused by Chlamydomonas nivalis which is a unicellular species of green algae found in snow areas of the alps and polar regions around the world.

The red snow samples were collected from Le Brevent mountain in France by Scientists under the AlpAlga project. According to the report, the red bloom in snow can be a probable indicator of climate change.

Genus	Chlamydomonas
Division	Chlorophyta
Species	-Sanguina aurantia (causes orange colored snow) -Sanguina nivaloides (causes red colored snow)
Scientific Name	Chlamydomonas nivalis
Region Found	Polar and glacier region
Altitude	Grows above 6,500 feet
Common Names	Bloody snow, Watermelon snow, Glacier Blood and red snow

How do mere algae contribute to climate change?

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According to Scientists, the white snow reflects over 80% of the sunlight, as clean snow is a natural reflector against the sun’s heat.

But when the snow appears red, orange, or any other dark color, it absorbs sunlight than reflects. This indicates increasing levels of carbon dioxide.

Glacier blood, Watermelon snow, bloody snow

The reason for green algae turns red on snow-

This is a natural occurrence, not supernatural. The green algae contain carotenoids in the cells, which turn red to protect themselves from ultraviolet sun rays.

The regions where it is found-

Blood Falls or Glacier blood are mainly found in polar and glacier regions. Some of those regions are the French Alps, Greenland, and Antarctica.

Can Blood Falls or Watermelon snow Edible?

There were reports where the snow smells fruit-like, but Scientists do not recommend consuming it as it may cause digestive problems. Overall, it is toxic for human health.

Global warming results in fewer snow-covered mountains around the world, which leads to more vegetation, and this causes a loop. Therefore, algae-covered snow contributes to the effects of snow loss as heat is absorbed from sunlight, which results in the melting of snow. It is a diabolical cycle, the temperature of the earth will increase, more snow will be covered in algae, and more quickly snow will melt. That’s why researchers are trying to find all the answers to tackle the problem.

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