Glaciers are huge white ice masses that can reflect a lot of sunlight. However, especially where the glaciers are not covered in snow and the bare ice is exposed, they sometimes have dark patches. These are microscopic algae that grow on the ice and darken its surface.

Researchers found that Greenland’s ice algae store phosphorus, allowing them to expand and darken ice surfaces, reducing reflectivity and accelerating melt rates. As climate change exposes more ice, these algae may worsen Arctic ice loss.

"For the first time, we are able to see significant increases in the size and depth of crevasses at fast-flowing glaciers at the edges of the Greenland Ice Sheet," said Dr. Tom Chudley.

Pigmented algae are well adapted to grow on exposed ice in the Arctic as the snowline recedes, raising concerns of a feedback loop that could lead to faster sea-level rise