The Blood Falls is a crimson-colored waterfall located in Antarctica.
Antarctica is in a state of distress as its glacial ice is melting due to the effects of global warming. In addition to this, there is an unusual natural phenomenon known as Blood Falls. This is a waterfall that emits red-colored water from the ice.
Initially, researchers thought that the red color of Blood Falls was due to the presence of red algae. However, they discovered that the water is highly infused with iron. The water at the source of Blood Falls does not possess any color, but it transforms into a red hue when the iron present in it reacts with oxygen, which is akin to the process of rusting.
Although the enigma of the red hue has been unraveled, there are still some queries lingering. What is the origin of the water and iron? Moreover, how come the water does not freeze, considering that the temperature in the vicinity is typically -17°C (1.4°F)?
The Taylor Glacier has a unique feature known as Blood Falls, which may seem like it’s made up of melted glacier water. However, it actually originates from a prehistoric lake that was created about 5 million years ago when seawater submerged East Antarctica. Over time, glaciers formed above the lake and trapped it beneath them around 2 million years ago. The water that flows out of the Taylor Glacier’s mouth is not only fascinating but also tells a story of the earth’s history.
As soon as the surface water of the subglacial lake started to solidify, the saltiness level of the remaining water started to increase gradually. Presently, the water contains three times more salt than the ocean, which explains why it does not freeze even when the temperature drops below 0° Celsius (32° Fahrenheit).
In 2017, scientists uncovered the secret to how water from subglacial lakes moves through glaciers. They used radar scanning to discover a network of subglacial rivers flowing through cracks in the glacier. The water from the source lake contains salt and has a lower freezing point than the glacier. When it freezes, it releases latent heat that melts the surrounding glacial ice, allowing the rivers to flow. This fascinating discovery sheds light on the movement of water beneath the ice and the complex processes involved in glacier formation.
When the water from the source travels through the glacier, some of it freezes along the way. As a result, the water that eventually reaches the end of the glacier has a higher concentration of salt and iron. The presence of salt further accelerates the reaction between iron and oxygen, resulting in Blood Falls appearing even more reddish in color.
Jill Mikucki from the University of Tennessee Knoxville captured an amazing photograph of Blood Falls, which spills out onto a frozen lake in Taylor Valley. This valley is located in Antarctica and is one of the McMurdo Dry Valleys. Despite the freezing temperatures in the area, the valleys remain ice-free because of the dry weather.
