The Guardian: Over the past 20 years, Greenland's ice sheets have become measurably less reflective, which makes them more likely to absorb sunlight and melt at a faster rate. The cause was traced to a material called cyroconite. Although it was identified more than 100 years ago, the process that created the material was unknown. Now, Arwyn Edwards of Aberystwyth University in Wales and her colleagues have identified a single species of bacteria as the creator of the cyroconite. The bacteria combines soot and dust into granules that darken the ice. As a result, small areas of ice melt into pools, which release nutrients and accelerate the growth of the bacteria. These cyroconite holes are widespread, covering an area of 200 000 km2.
