Scientists and students from Tomsk State University (TSU) and Lomonosov Moscow State University (MSU) monitored the mass balance of Aktru glaciers at various locations in this mountain-glacier basin. During their study of glaciers in the Altai Mountains, they recorded a phenomenon - a rapid bloom of Chlamydomonas nivalis algae. These unicellular plants are able to survive in low temperatures and their blooms have become increasingly active, causing the glacier to turn a deep red color. Measurements taken during the expedition showed that the blooming is reducing the albedo, which is a measure of the glacier's reflectivity.
Albedo is typically measured in percentages and is the fraction of light that a surface reflects.
The albedo survey was conducted by Evgenia Shkurinova, a master's degree student at the Department of Glaciology and Cryolithology, Faculty of Geography, Lomonosov Moscow State University. She participated in the survey of the Left Aktru and Vodopadny glaciers located at altitudes ranging from 2,600 to 3,556 meters above sea level together with TSU staff and students.
“This year's algae bloom is even more powerful than last year's,” said Evgeniya Shkurinova. “Surprisingly, even without cloud cover, the “scarlet fields” on Vodopadnoye were visible from the Big Left Aktru glacier, which is located five kilometers away. When measuring, it was discovered that the light reflectance value on the areas covered with algae was significantly lower than on the areas without it.”
The observed accumulations of dust particles had even lower albedo values. According to the survey, the albedo of the clean surface was 31-38%, while in the area with algae this indicator was 26%, and in the areas covered with dust it was 14-20%. This "darkening" of the glacier surface leads to increased ice and snow melting in these areas.
“This phenomenon should certainly be studied by scientists,” says Evgenia Shkurinova. “The increase in algae activity on the glacier may indicate a change in the conditions of existence not only for living organisms on the glacier, but also for their impact on the existence of the glaciers themselves.”
In future expeditions, TSU scientists plan to supplement their study of glaciers' reaction to climate change with the use of area aerial photography of the Vodopadny glacier surface. This will provide new information about the intensity of the process.