One waterfall in Antarctica is so iron-rich that as the iron reacts with oxygen in the air, the water turns red. Blood Falls is a dark red waterfall that flows from a glacier in Antarctica. It is in a desert area of Antarctica known as McMurdo Dry Valley, which is one of the only parts of the continent without frozen conditions. Technically known as Taylor Glacier, the area stretches 34.8 miles (56 km) wide and contains a small waterfall that contains bacteria that create the blood-like appearance. The bacteria are thought to be located under 1,300 feet (400 m) of ice and survive by living off compounds of iron and sulfur. The red color of the water is thought to be caused by the excreted iron reacting with oxygen in the air.
Posted on: Fri, 26 Jul 2013 07:59:01 +0000
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