The student portal of Université Grenoble Alpes

In the Alps, between 2,000 and 3,000 meters above sea level, a strange phenomenon occurs. Every year, from April to July, in certain places, the melting snow turns red. As sometimes happens in the oceans, there seem to be explosions of color and life: blooms.

But what is this red?

A meteorological event unlike any other, snow evokes childhood memories of winter and its sports. A symbol of current environmental challenges, it also bears witness to the vulnerability of the mountains, tested by the effects of climate change.

Explore the many facets of snow, between poetry, science and ecological questions.

Co-produced by the City of Grenoble via its Museum, the CNRS, the University of Grenoble Alpes and Météo-France, the exhibition “Rouge comme neige” highlights the scientific work of the ALPALGA project, around the microscopic life that populates the snow at high altitudes.