Ian
priscilla 1Coloured Snow
December 30th 2009 01:57
Everybody knows that snow is pure white, and most of the time this holds true. However due to a variety of environmental and light conditions, sometimes snow can take on other colours. As you will see snow can be literally be a frozen rainbow!
These images and information was sourced from the WebEcoist. Read more here.
Most commonly observed at sunrise or sunset, violet snows occur when trillions of naturally reflective snow crystals amplify and reflect the subtle lavender tint of a twilight sky. This picture is of Venetian gondolas dusted by a rare early evening snowstorm.
Of all the possible colors, tints and hues snow can take on, blue is perhaps the least incongruous. Clouds, the sea, glacial ice, even our planet from space all appear blue, so the cerulean cast reflected so beautifully by snow appears anything but out of place.
A certain type of algae called Chlamydomonas can tint snow seaweed green. This image was taken in, of all places, Antarctica – pretty much the last place you’d expect to see anything green. Chlamydomonas algae may be unsightly but it’s harmless, and can be found in wintery alpine regions around the world.
In February of 2009 snow of an “ugly yellow color” fell in copious amounts. The snowfall was expected as the remnants of a tropical cyclone were due to sweep across the island but the odd color provoked shock and alarm. When melted, the yellow snow was said to leave an oily residue and exuded a “revolting smell”. Analysis of the snow showed above average concentrations of iron and heavy metals, leading Russian scientists to state the smelly snow was contaminated by emissions from power plants and chemical industries upwind.
Pink snow is not uncommon in chill areas downwind from iron-rich arid or desert regions such as Utah or Colorado in the United States or parts of China east of the Gobi Desert. Rusty reddish dust gets swept into the atmosphere mixing with snow up in clouds, or it may blow on top of fresh snow in a diffuse fashion.
These images and information was sourced from the WebEcoist. Read more here.
Violet Snow
Blue Snow
Green Snow
Yellow Snow
Pink Snow
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