30.01.2021 Glacier ice algae boost Greenland’s ice melt
he Greenland Ice Sheet is the second largest land ice mass on Earth. In the last 25 years, dramatic melting has been observed here. One driving force for this, which has received little attention so far, is the effect of glacier ice algae. They darken the surface and thus reduce the reflection of sunlight. The ice melts faster. Researchers from the University of Leeds (UK) led by postdoctoral fellow Jenine McCutcheon (now University of Waterloo, Canada) and Liane G. Benning, German Research Centre for Geosciences Potsdam GFZ, have identified an important nutrient source for the glacier ice algae: phosphorus from locally generated mineral dust. This finding helps to better predict future developments of algal blooms and ice melt and to optimise climate models. The study was published today in Nature Communications.