Pink-hued 'watermelon snow' has covered the Rocky Mountains near Utah, and visitors are seeing it even though summer. The U.S. Geological Survey reports how its caused.
Hiker Jana Brough walks across pink-hued snow at Tony Grove Lake on Wednesday, June 28, 2023, near Logan, Utah.What is watermelon snow?
Snow algae are"single-celled organisms" that exist in bodies of fresh and salt water, but"have adapted to thrive in temperatures near freezing," according to the USGS.Pink-hued algae is reportedly responsible for what's known as watermelon snow on Guardsman Pass on Wednesday, June 28, 2023, near Park City, Utah.
Scott Hotaling, an ecologist with Utah State University, told the AP that snow algae can produce a secondary pigment."They need some kind of pigmentation to prevent damage related to the high-UV of the environment they're in," said Hotaling."So they produce the secondary pigment largely for that purpose to protect themselves," he said.and wildlife, but experts continually advise the public to refrain from eating pink-hued snow.
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