The mystery of Antarctica’s Blood Falls has long baffled researchers and spooked the general public with its gruesome red flows that ooze upon the stark tundra of Taylor Glacier.
First discovered by Australian geologist Griffith Taylor in 1911, the fall’s fiery hue was initially believed to be the work of red algae.
Researchers at the University of Alaska Fairbanks and Colorado College have confirmed that the color is due to oxidized iron and water from a process releasing heat which melts the surrounding ice.