Scientists may have underestimated global warming's severity. Here's how
Alia Khan of Western Washington University, also studies algae, but she’s focused on how it cranks up the heat by absorbing more energy from the sun.
"What happens in Antarctica does not stay in Antarctica," Khan said.
Bright snow and ice reflects the sun's energy back to space, helping earth stay a little cooler. Even though it’s a tiny change, the algae that grows on patches of ice in Antarctica alters the albedo — or the ice's reflectivity — enough to make the planet warm even faster.
"When [the algae] are actively photosynthesizing, they have a larger impact on the surface albedo because they're bringing extra energy into the snowpack, which dissipates as heat and causes it to melt faster," Khan explained.