Green snow seen from space

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Warming temperatures due to climate change have resulted in a spread of "green snow" in Antarctica, the extent of which is now visible from space.
https://www.news.com.au/technology/envi ... f809465517

New research published on Wednesday from the University of Cambridge and the British Antarctic Survey showed the first map of these algae blooms, which help soak to soak up CO2 from the atmosphere.

Using data collected by the European Space Agency’s Sentinel 2 satellite over the past two years, they reported the spread of was particularly prominent along the Antarctic Peninsula coast and is expected to increase due to global warming. This is because the slushy melting snow provides the perfect environment for these microscopic organisms to thrive.

Not only is this good news for global warming but it poses an interesting question about the detection of photosynthetic pigments from space. In terms of the search for life in the universe it should be theroetically possible to detect photosynthetic pigment in the galaxy?

So...

Rising CO2 causing global warming->snow melts in Antarctica->CO2-absorbing algae flourishes->falling CO2 causes cooling-> algea declines.

Eco-systems are weird.

That exactly what I was thinking - a steady state ecosystem in equilibrium that self-regulates based on algal growth reducing CO2 so slow down global warming maintaining ice temp at a cosy level for the microbes to flourish.

Cool and self-regulating, sure. But how much do we rely on these built-in regulatory processes? How much CO2 can how much algea that multiplies how fast under what ideal conditions and then declines again reduce CO2 levels by? This is good news, don't get me wrong, but I can just imagine how this filters down to people as "CO2 emissions no longer a problem thanks to antarctic algea".

Yes it is ...complicated.

On one hand this algae spreads to the snow, and it absorbs the excess C02. Thereby taking out an excess greenhouse gas. Thereby pumping the brakes on global warming.

But on the other hand … if a lot of the polar ice cap turns from white to green then it will reduce albedo. Less light will get reflected back into space, and more light will get absorbed by the Antarctic part of the earths surface. This will raise temperature, which will...increase global warming! And also warm that patch of snow, tending to cause it to melt causing an acceleration in sea level rise!

Or...maybe not. I am being the devil's advocate here.

Well yeah! but the yellow snow tastes better

You need to go to the Parish of St. Alphonso!

But actually that might be a new food source for man. Antarctic green snowcones. Part salad part ice-cream treat.