For decades, the Blood Falls have puzzled scientists about what causes the strange phenomenon.
The falls were discovered on the Taylor Glacier in East Antarctica in 1911 and were named for the color of the water that gushes from them.
The unexplained phenomenon of the falls
According to Chris Carr, a glaciologist at Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) and lead author of a recent study (“Dark red waterfall in Antarctica, “Blood Falls,” is still a scientific mystery“), experts are still working to uncover what triggers the waterfall’s unpredictable flow.
The Blood WaterFalls don’t flow year-round, but what makes them special is the fact that the water beneath the glacier remains liquid, despite the freezing temperatures.
Researchers have identified saltwater in a hidden natural reservoir beneath the Taylor Glacier that retains heat more effectively than regular freshwater.
The high salinity also lowers the freezing point, meaning the water remains liquid in the harsh Antarctic temperatures.
Some researchers have suggested that the natural reservoir may be an ancient body of seawater, possibly trapped millions of years ago.
The water then seeps through cracks in the glacier and erupts to the surface at irregular intervals.
Their color
As you might imagine, the color isn’t actually blood. The hue is the result of oxidation, a chemical process that occurs when iron-rich brine meets oxygen in the air.
Researchers once attributed the purple color to red algae, but that theory was eventually dismissed.
Careful chemical analyses later identified iron compounds that darken the hue of the gushing water, giving it a deep, red color.
Each time purple water appears, additional observations could provide clues as to what triggers the phenomenon.
