Take part in our research…
Join the Hunt for Coloured Snow: A Citizen Science Quest in the French Alps
Download an app onto your smartphone, go hiking, and collect data and samples!
The Grenoble-based AlpAlga consortium has joined forces with the Living Snow Projecta unique initiative of Western Washington University, USA
A Citizen Science Initiative on Coloured Snow in the Alps
The Living Snow Project is an international citizen science program that invites mountain enthusiasts to study a fascinating and still little-known phenomenon: coloured snow, which appears in the Alps during spring and summer. These hues, pink, red, orange, and even green, are caused by blooms of microalgae and other microorganisms living on the snow’s surface.
These organisms produce pigments to protect themselves from the intense, high-altitude sunlight. Their presence alters the albedo (reflectivity) of the snow, accelerating the melting of snowpacks and alpine glaciers, a critical issue in the context of climate change, especially in vulnerable mountain ranges such as Mont Blanc, the Vanoise, the Écrins, and the Mercantour. To date, over 1,000 samples have been collected, primarily in North America. Now it’s time to grow the project in the Alps!
A Direct Impact on the Alps and Mountain Sports
In the Alps, where the local economy is closely tied to mountain sports, skiing, mountaineering, hiking, paragliding, trail running, and mountain biking, the early melting of snow cover directly affects sport practices, water resource management, and the biodiversity of alpine ecosystems. By studying the dynamics of coloured snow, we can better anticipate the future of these fragile environments and help protect them.
An Engaged Alpine Community
Originally launched at Western Washington University in the U.S., the project has now expanded to the French Alps thanks to a Fulbright grant and partnerships with AlpALGA (CEA Grenoble), Le Jardin du Lautaret, and CREA Mont-Blanc (Centre for Research on Alpine Ecosystems). The goal: to involve locals, mountain sports enthusiasts, guides, refuge cabin wardens, and visitors in collecting field observations and contributing to a shared scientific effort.
How to Get Involved
- Sign up using the registration form.
- Download the LSP app (iOS/Android).
- While exploring the mountains, if you spot coloured snow, take a photo and upload it through the app.
Note: Even if you’re already home, you can report the location using approximate coordinates via Google Maps. A predictive map of coloured snow in the Alps, developed by scientists in Grenoble, is included in the app to guide your exploration.
Want to Go Further?
Interested in collecting samples from your local mountain range?
Email us with the subject: “LSP Sample Collection in Europe”, and we will do our best to support your efforts, even if a full collection network has not yet been established in France.
Follow the Living Snow Project on Bluesky!
