Spring red snow phenomenon in the Tohhoku-region, Japan

• YAMAMOTO Yoko

  Faculty of Agriculture, Meiji University

• OHTAKA Akifumi

  Faculty of Education, Hirosaki University

• HAYASHI Takashi

  Faculty of Agriculture, Meiji University

• FUKUHARA Haruo

  Faculty of Education and Human Sciences, Niigata University

• NOHARA Seiichi

  National Institute for Environmental Studies

• OCHIAI Masahiro

  Faculty of Engineering, Tokushima Bunri University

Bibliographic Information

Other Title

• 東北地方の赤雪
• トウホク チホウ ノ アカユキ

Abstract

Red snow is frequently observed during snow-melting periods in Japan. To better understand this phenomenon, we collected red snow at 47 sites in the Tohoku region of Japan from March 1998 to May 2003, and examined their chemical compositions. The red snow contained a large population of reddish-brown particles, most of which were spores of the green alga Hemitoma sp. The colour of these spores is caused by ferrous oxide in the spiky lorica that covers them. We observed red snow mostly in sites where water had pooled underneath the snow speculating that perhaps water flowing up to the snow surface causes an accumulation of spores in the snow, thus imparting to it its characteristic red colour.

Journal

• Japanese Journal of Limnology (Rikusuigaku Zasshi)

  Japanese Journal of Limnology (Rikusuigaku Zasshi) 65 (3), 181-191, 2004

  The Japanese Society of Limnology

Keywords

• red snow
• Fe
• Tohoku region
• green algae
• Hemitoma sp.

Details

• CRID: 1390001204058970112
• NII Article ID: 10014221213
• NII Book ID: AN0024866X
• DOI: 10.3739/rikusui.65.181
• ISSN: 18824897
• ISSN: 00215104
• ISSN: http://id.crossref.org/issn/00215104
• NDL BIB ID: 7190752
• Web Site: https://ndlsearch.ndl.go.jp/books/R000000004-I7190752
• Text Lang: ja
• Data Source:
  • JaLC
  • NDL
  • Crossref
  • CiNii Articles
  • KAKEN
• Abstract License Flag: Disallowed