Phantom of the Poles: Chapter XV. What Produces Colored Snow in the Arctic?

Why is the snow colored in the Arctic regions? What causes it to be colored?

The snow has been analyzed, and the red, green, and yellow have been found to contain vegetable matter, presumably a flower, or the pollen of a plant. The black snow has also been analyzed, and found to contain carbon and iron, supposed to come from a volcanic eruption. But whence did it come? A flower that produced pollen sufficient to permeate the air with such density that it colored the snow, would require a vast territory--millions of acres--to grow it. Where is that to be found? If on earth, it must be near the North Pole; for, if it grew elsewhere, colored snow would be found at other locations, and not be confined to the Arctic regions. As no

Kane speaks of the red snow as if it had a regular season in which to appear--as he says "if the snowy surface were more diffused, as it is no doubt earlier in the season." In another place he speaks of the red snow being two weeks later than usual. Now, taking the fact into account that the material that colors the snow is a vegetable matter, supposed to be the blossom or pollen