In Antarctica, near the Ukrainian station “Akademik Vernadsky”, scientists discovered “snow bloom”. This was announced on Monday, February 15, by the press service of the National Antarctic Science Center.
“At the end of the Antarctic summer, in the area of our Akademik Vernadsky station, there is such a phenomenon as“ blooming ”of snow. This year, the snow changed color again: instead of white, it turned green and crimson. This color appears as a result of the development of microscopic algae in the snow, ”the center said on its Facebook page.
The press service noted that algae reproduce by spores that are not afraid of extreme temperatures and are stored in the snow throughout the long winter. Spores begin to germinate when weather conditions are favorable.
The red color appears due to the carotene layer, which contains cells of some types of microalgae, and the green color is given by the chlorophyll pigment.
A natural phenomenon such as “snow bloom” contributes to climate change, as the color of the snow reflects less sunlight and melts faster. As a result, more and more bright algae develop in it, which is why the melting begins to accelerate.
Earlier that day, scientists from the UK discovered unknown animals on the seabed under the Antarctic ice shelf, these creatures resemble sponges.
The organisms were found during exploratory drilling on the Filchner Ice Shelf. It is noted that experts made eight holes in an area the size of a tennis court.
Until a recent find, it was believed that there were no attached benthic life forms on the Antarctic coast.