How is Pink Snow Form?
Watermelon snow, also called snow algae, pink snow not true, red snow, or blood snow, is a phenomenon caused by Chlamydomonas nivalis, a species of green algae containing a secondary red carotenoid pigment (astaxanthin) in addition to chlorophyll. Unlike most species of fresh-water algae, it is cryophilic (cold-loving) and thrives in freezing water.
This type of snow is common during the summer in alpine and coastal polar regions worldwide, such as the Sierra Nevada of California. Here, at altitudes of 10,000 to 12,000 feet (3,000–3,600 m), the temperature is cold throughout the year, and so the snow has lingered from winter storms. Compressing the snow by stepping on it or making snowballs leaves it looking red. Walking on watermelon snow often results in getting bright red soles and pinkish trouser cuffs.
IS PINK SNOW POISONOUS?
Many people report that pink snow sometimes has a faint smell of watermelon, but no one's quite figured out why. And no, it's definitely not edible - the algae are considered toxic to humans. Snow comes in other colors too - different algae species can make it appear green and occasionally orange.
WHERE IT IS FOUND?
Pink snow, also known as snow algae, red snow, or even the ominous-sounding blood snow, has been spotted all over the world (including the Rockies, the Himalayas, the Arctic, and Antarctica), most recently in the melted form at Montana's Glacier National Park.
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