6 FEB 2023

The Blood Falls Of Snowy Antarctica

DRISTI SHARMA

antarctica: ICIEST CONTINENT

Antarctica, world's southernmost continent, is also the driest, windiest, coldest, and iciest continent. With temperatures dropping up to -53 degree Celsius.

VIDEO: pexels

STRANGE phenomenA


Because of its location and weather, it is also home to some of the strangest natural phenomena.

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BLOOD FALLS

'Blood Falls', seen in Antarctica, is the strangest of them all. It remained a mystery for the longest time. 

photo: Twitter/nature7paradise

location

Blood Falls are located in Antarctica's McMurdo Dry Valleys, and the falls pour forth from Taylor Glacier. The liquid bubbles up from fissures in the glacier’s surface.

PHOTO: popular science


Blood Falls is a waterfall of vibrant red water that oozes out of Antarctica's Taylor Glacier.

PHOTO: Twitter/Tipsfly_

TAYLOR GLACIER

What is it?

First discovered as a frozen waterfall in 1911, scientists noticed that a part of the cliff had stained dark red. They assumed it was due to algae.

Photo: TWIITER/nature7paradise

Taylor Glacier formed 2 million years ago, trapping a saltwater lake. The saltwater causes the blood river: iron salts seeping out of the ice turn red upon contact with air.

PHOTO: national geo

Why?

A STEP FOR astrobiology

Researchers believe the lake trapped beneath the glacier was full of microbes. Studying these microbes will be a step ahead for astrobiology.

PHOTO: TWITTER/Evilyn89945347

WONDERLAND

Antarctica is a land of wonders. Apart from the white landscape, you can see Aurora Australis or the Southern Lights. Do you want to visit Antarctica someday?

PHOTO: TRAVEL TRIANGLE