India, Oct. 20 -- Antarctica conjures images of vast expanses of white ice and snow-covered mountains. But parts of the frozen continent are turning green and red. The sight may be striking, even beautiful, but the phenomenon has a less reassuring connection to climate change.

The coloured patches appearing on Antarctica's white snow have attracted scientific attention. One contributing factor is penguin droppings, which supply nutrients to microscopic algae growing on the snow. Scientists suspect that this natural process may accelerate local melting, adding to the effects of a warming climate.

A study published earlier this month in the Journal of Geophysical Research: Biogeosciences suggests that nutrients from penguin droppings help...