Scientists Have Discovered Black Algae on Glaciers. Curbing It Could Slow Global Warming

Glaciers are not as barren as they appear, say researchers from Aarhus University. Until recently, scientists thought glaciers lacked the nutrients needed to sustain life but it turns out those nutrients do exist. Just In very small quantities. A single pool of meltwater can contain up to 4,000 species, including bacteria, algae, viruses and microscopic fungi. One of those microbes is of particular interest to climate scientists. Black algae contains a pigment to protect itself from the sun’s rays. The more this algae spreads, the darker the ice becomes which means it absorbs heat instead of reflecting it back into space.