Deep in the frozen desert, a waterfall appears to bleed bright red liquid. It looks like a scene from a movie, but it's actually a natural chemical reaction!
In 1911, explorers in Antarctica were shocked to see a waterfall of bright red water flowing from the Taylor Glacier onto the white ice. For over a century, people called it "Blood Falls" because it looked like the glacier was wounded and bleeding.
It's not actually blood, and it's not red algae either. The secret lies in an underground lake that has been trapped beneath the glacier for about 2 million years.
What's even more amazing is that scientists found tiny microbes living in that dark, salty, oxygen-free lake deep under the ice. These "aliens" of Earth have been cut off from the rest of the world for millions of years, surviving by "breathing" iron and sulfur. Studying them helps scientists imagine how life might survive on other cold planets, like Mars or Europa.
Blood Falls is a natural "rust machine." It is caused by very salty, iron-rich water from an ancient underground lake turning red when it touches the oxygen in the air. It's a spectacular sight that proves nature can be both beautiful and a little bit spooky.
