6 ms·
I'm having trouble remembering the name (it's obtuse and my searching is bringing up different, similar phenomena - cryo-something iirc), but once the warm dust
by maxbond 3y ago
I'm having trouble remembering the name (it's obtuse and my searching is bringing up different, similar phenomena - cryo-something iirc), but once the warm dust starts to dig a little hole with some fresh water in it, biofilms of algae and fungi begin to form at the bottom. They're dark colored and accelerate the process further (increasing the size of their habitat).
At least, that happens with real glaciers. It may take a while for a similar phenomenon to arise on artificial glaciers. But sure as sunshine, if there's sunlight and fresh water, the algae will figure out a way to exploit it.
- Gh0stRAT 3y agoIs the term you're looking for "cupping", ie the formation of "sun cups"?
- maxbond 3y agoInteresting, I hadn't heard that before, but it's certainly related. The word I was searching for was the term for this particular biofilm/community, so it's some long technical term.
- williamdclt 3y agoI always wonder that about seemingly-spontaneaous fungus and algea appearance: where do these organisms come from? Are they somehow airborn, or rainborn?
- marcosdumay 3y agoYes to both. There are plenty of organisms on any drop of water you can find on nature, and plenty of spores on the air.
- mjhay 3y agoThose are called "cryoconites." If the debris over a glacier exceeds a millimeter or two, it will actually reduce melt instead.
- maxbond 3y agoThank you! That's so interesting that it can actually slow the melting.