Greenland's mineral dust is speeding up ice melt
A fresh study reveals that mineral dust blowing off Greenland's own rocks is feeding algae on the ice sheet.
These tiny blooms aren't just a science curiosity—they actually help speed up how quickly the ice melts.
Phosphorus-rich dust feeds algae, which in turn speeds up melting
Researchers matched the dust on the ice to nearby Greenland rocks and found it's packed with phosphorus, a nutrient algae love.
With more phosphorus, bigger algal blooms thrive—setting off a chain reaction that affects how fast the ice disappears.
Dark pigment produced by algae makes ice less reflective
The algae produce a dark pigment that makes the ice less reflective, so it soaks up more sunlight and melts even quicker.
Since Greenland already loses hundreds of billions of tons of ice every year, this dusty-algae combo could mean rising sea levels are coming at us even faster than we thought.