Snow is melting into watermelon-coloured puddles of blood
When snow melts here, it usually leaves a load of grey slushy mess and not much else.
If you go hiking to Grinnell Glacier in Montana, however, you’ll find that molten snow can be spectacular.
Over their, they’ve got puddles of ‘watermelon snow’.
Found in crevices surrounded by a load of rocks, bright crimson pools of water are appearing and apparently, they smell of sweet watermelon (ahhh, the Instagram dream!).
Why?
It happens when a certain type of red-pigmented algae (Chlamydomonas nivalis) that contains chlorophyll combines with snow to create bright red hues.
The pigment protects the algae from the sun’s radiation and also helps it to absorb heat – and that causes the snow to smelt. The algae, like most algae, is usually green but because they’re covered in this protective choroid layer, they’re bright red.
And weirdly enough, patches of the red or pink snow is said to have a faint, sweet smell, hence the ‘watermelon snow’ tag.
Joe Giersch, an entomologist at the United States Geological Society, recently came across the natural phenomenon while visiting the glacier, and posted a photo of the puddle that was the result of the watermelon snow.
Apparently, you’re more likely to see watermelon snow closer to summer, as temperatures rise in the area and glaciers bid a hasty retreat.
According to The Weather Network, walking on these puddles can even stain your shoes a millennial pink. The algae lay dormant throughout the winter months and when it starts to get warm, it starts to blossom and grow.
More: Travel
But if you think that this is nature’s own slush puppy dream, think again.
Apparently, watermelon snow can have laxative effects.
Probably much like drinking excessive quantities actual e-additive-laden snow cones.
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