This algae in particular, named Chlamydormonas nivalis, is actually the most common of the snow alga, Frazer writes. Frazer explains in her post how it moves about in the snow and why it’s red.

Algae blooms occur naturally — the first written observation of glacier blood came from Aristotle, who guessed that the snow had grown hairy red worms from lying around too long.

Climate change is speeding up dramatically because of red snow, according to new research. Algae living on Arctic glaciers are turning the surface crimson reducing their ability to reflect ...

Red algae in natural sunlight have 75 percent as much photosynthetic capacity as do those protected from the portion of the sun’s ultraviolet spectrum known as UV-B. Green snow algae, which lack ...

Maréchal and his colleagues recently found that red snow algae appear to only grow at elevations above 2,000m (6,562ft) in the French Alps, and particularly flourish at around 2,400m (7,874ft).

A researcher points to pink snow algae in Glacier National Park in August. Credit: Sarah Mosquera/High Country News This summer, researchers from around the country crisscrossed the mountains of ...

IN MARCH 1875, readers of The American Naturalist were treated to a discourse on the curious phenomenon of red snow. “Truly a beautiful sight,” the periodical opined, “in direct contrast ...

Red and green algae that grow on snow in the Antarctic Peninsula cause significant extra snowmelt on par with melt from dust on snow in the Rocky Mountains, according to a first-of-its-kind ...

Before the snow algae vanish, though, and while there’s still some glacier left, it’s entirely possible that the last snow we’ll see on Earth will be pink or even red—a blush, a bruise, a ...

Because this form of snow algae is tcpink to red, it absorbs sunlight- and when positioned on a glacier, can make it melt more quickly. This is of concern in Washington, where they serve as an ...

Bright white snow reflects sunlight, but when this red algae begins to spread in an area, it lowers the overall reflective properties of the snow, welcoming more heat to be absorbed, prompting ...

The red snow is troubling because scientists have connected the growing presence of the snow algae, which is called Sanguina nivaloides, to elevated levels of carbon dioxide.