Please note!
This fact brief was originally published as an experiment to test the concepts behind fact briefs.
Readers should be aware that while there is still a lot of useful information in fact briefs like this one, not all of them reflect Gigafact's current methods and standards for fact briefs. If you come across any that you feel are out of date, don't hesitate to contact us at support@gigafact.org.
Are algae blooms in ice and snow linked to increased carbon in the atmosphere?
Thursday, July 16, 2020
By Jiyul Kim
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YES
Research shows a positive correlation between increasing carbon dioxide in the atmosphere and glacial algae growth. This growth is predicted to increase if global temperatures continue to rise.
A study published in Nature found that warmer summer temperatures and sufficient nutrient supply were crucial to the proliferation of green snow algae on the Antarctic Peninsula, which has experienced significant warming over the last 50 years and is predicted to continue to warm.
Algae growth in glaciers may also worsen the ice melt; algae darkens the surface of the glacier, causing it to absorb more solar heat and to melt at a faster speed.
This fact brief is responsive to conversations such as this one.
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ABOUT THE CONTRIBUTOR
Between 2020 and 2022, under close editorial supervision, Gigafact contracted a group of freelance writers and editors to test the concepts for fact briefs and provide inputs to our software development process. We call this effort Gigafact Foundry. Over the course of these two years, Gigafact Foundry writers published over 1500 fact briefs in response to claims they found online. Their important work forms the basis of Gigafact formats and editorial guidelines, and is available to the public on Gigafact.org. Readers should be aware that while there is still a lot of relevant information to be found, not all fact briefs produced by Gigafact Foundry reflect Gigafact's current methods and standards for fact briefs. If you come across any that you feel are out of date and need to be looked at with fresh eyes, don't hesitate to contact us at support@gigafact.org.
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