Theory 07/Polar & Sea Ice/Ice algae
Ice Algae Follow the Snow
The claim
Ice algal production is set by the ratio of snow depth to ice thickness, with an optimum where light reaches the bottom of the ice without melting it.
01Mechanism
Algae grow at the ice base and need light that penetrates snow; too much snow starves them and too little allows melt pond formation that shades them.
02Prediction
Production should peak at an intermediate ratio.
03Refutation
Production increasing monotonically with light would remove the melt penalty.