The blood-red water that's been gushing out of this glacier for ages owes its color to bacteria populating a hidden lake

Apr 29, 2015 12:11 GMT  ·  By

A steady stream of dark-red water has been gushing out of the Taylor Glacier in Antarctica for ages now. The stream, dubbed the Blood Falls, makes a perfect contrast with the surrounding frozen landscape. 

Although the Taylor Glacier and the odd waterfall seeping on its outer edge were discovered back in 1911, it look a while for researchers to solve the mystery behind this peculiar phenomenon.

In a recent study, researcher Jill Mikucki with the University of Tennessee and colleagues confirm that, as indicated by past investigations, the blood-like water pouring out of the Taylor Glacier owes its color to local bacteria.

Thus, the scientists say that the massive block of ice hides a saltwater lake of sorts under it. This lake is populated by microorganisms that rely on iron and sulfur compounds to survive and thrive.

The bacteria are guilty of transforming the chemistry of the lake they call their home. The result is that, when reaching the glacier's surface, the water instantly oxidizes and turns red, birthing Antarctica's Blood Falls.

There are other hidden lakes in Antarctica

Since it receives very little precipitation, Antarctica is widely considered a desert. Still, University of Tennessee scientist Jill Mikucki and fellow researchers argue that this frozen land actually hides a small army of lakes and streams.

Writing in the journal Nature Communications, the specialists explain that, with the help of an airborne electromagnetic mapping sensor system, they documented a network of bodies of water hiding under Antarctica's Taylor Valley.

The lakes and streams that comprise this network appear to contain various concentrations of all sorts of sediments, which makes them life-friendly. Besides, researchers theorize that sediments seeping from them might be feeding the nearby ocean.

“We know there is significant saturated sediment below the surface that is likely seeping into the ocean and affecting the productivity of things that feed ocean food webs,” said scientist Jill Mikucki.

The newly documented network of bodies of water beneath Taylor Valley, the southernmost of Antarctica's three large Dry Valleys, stretches about 7.5 miles (12 kilometers) inland from the coastline and reaches a depth of up to 1,150 feet (350 meters).

For now, it is unclear how these underground saltwater lakes and streams formed in Antarctica. One possibility is that they were created when ocean waters flooded local landscapes only to retreat soon after.

By the looks of it, the underground aquifer network in Antarctica's Taylor Valley does not stand alone. Instead, it appears to be connected to the few surface lakes surviving in this corner of the world.

The McMurdo Dry Valleys in Antarctica are almost completely ice-free
The McMurdo Dry Valleys in Antarctica are almost completely ice-free

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Photo shows Antarctica's Blood Falls
The McMurdo Dry Valleys in Antarctica are almost completely ice-free
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