02/27/2020 - 9:40
- Clarín.com
- Society
A Ukrainian base in Antarctica appeared days ago covered with "pink snow or watermelon," a strange phenomenon that caught the attention of all who live there.
Why did you get that color? In a thread published on Twitter, the Spanish physics doctor Mar Gómez (@MarGomezH) explained the reasons behind the phenomenon and went viral.
Apparently, the color is due to the flowering of thousands of unicellular algae called Chlamydomonas nivalis , which contain red carotene (astaxanthin) to protect against ultraviolet radiation.
The substance "acts as a sunscreen, protecting the algae from the dreaded ultraviolet radiation, but allowing the passage of other wavelengths necessary to perform photosynthesis," said the expert.
Another image of the Ukrainian base.
Said red pigment, Gomez added, " protects them from dangerous ultraviolet radiation and is responsible for dyeing the snow pink." Hence, this phenomenon is also known as that of watermelon snow.
This type of algae is able to survive in cold climates, remaining "asleep" during the winter months. Higher temperatures during the Antarctic summer cause them to "wake up" and expand rapidly.
The color is due to the flowering of algae.
It is not the only type of algae capable of surviving at very cold temperatures: in fact, there are about 350 different types capable of doing so. Some of them can dye snow black, brown or yellow.
But in addition, this pink snow contributes to increasing global warming by reducing the snow albedo. Albedo is the ability of a surface to reflect solar radiation, being high in snow and ice.
By occupying part of this snow of a color that is not white, that ability to reflect solar radiation to the outside is reduced and can contribute to an increase in climate change.