A
glacier1 in Italy is turning pink because of
algae2 - a development that will make the ice melt faster, a scientist studying the phenomenon says. Pink snow has appeared at the Presena glacier in northern Italy, said researcher Biagio Di Mauro, of the Institute of Polar Sciences at Italy's National Research Council. While "watermelon snow," as it is sometimes known, is fairly common in the Alps in spring and summer, it has been more marked this year. Mauro believes an algae named Chlamydomonas nivalis is responsible for the change in color. Algal blooms are bad news for the health of the glacier as darker snow absorbs more energy, meaning it melts faster.