Glaciers are huge white ice masses that can reflect a lot of sunlight. However, especially where the glaciers are not covered in snow and the bare ice is exposed, they sometimes have dark patches. These are microscopic algae that grow on the ice and darken its surface.

Pigmented algae are well adapted to grow on exposed ice in the Arctic as the snow line recedes, raising concerns of a feedback loop that could lead to faster sea level rise

New research, published in The Cryosphere, has identified a critical threshold—called a “tipping point”—that could determine whether the Greenland ice sheet can recover or if it will continue melting until it disappears completely.

New research reveals that ice algae can store nutrients which may enable them to colonize more of the ice sheet, darkening and melting it.

The vast landmass is melting quickly due to climate change, and may rapidly cause the complete loss of the island's ice.