The Mystery Behind The Blood Falls In

A River of Blood in Antarctica?

In the heart of Antarctica’s icy wilderness, a bizarre scarlet waterfall called Blood Falls spills from the Taylor Glacier.

Discovered in 1911 by Australian geologist Griffith Taylor, the sight of blood-red water flowing from pure white ice left early explorers stunned.

Initial theories suggested red algae,

but no evidence supported this. Others believed iron-rich water was oxidizing—essentially rusting—upon contact with air.

But how could liquid water exist under a glacier?

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The Science Behind the Color

Modern research uncovered the real story: beneath the glacier lies a sealed, iron-rich subglacial lake, cut off from the world for over a million years.

Despite freezing conditions, the lake’s extreme salt content keeps the water liquid. As it seeps out and meets oxygen, the iron oxidizes, turning the flow blood-red. “In the same way that iron and air combine to make rust, this starts a quick oxidation process,” scientists explain.

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Life in the Unlikeliest Place

Even more astonishing, this hidden lake is home to microbial life that thrives without sunlight or oxygen—feeding on iron and sulfur.

These extremophiles prove that “life may persist in previously unthinkable sterile environments.” Blood Falls has become a testing ground for astrobiologists who believe similar life forms could exist on icy moons like Europa or Enceladus, where oceans lie beneath frozen surfaces.