There exists a section of Antarctica that brings to mind a scene from a David Cronenberg movie. Situated within the arid valleys of McMurdo, this expansive frozen wasteland sporadically expels a crimson plume from the glaringly white Taylor Glacier. Referred to as the Blood Falls, since their identification by geologist Thomas Griffith Taylor in 1911, they have generated scientific fascination for over a century.
Recent studies from 2018 onward have shed light on numerous enigmas, including the origin of their red coloration and the reason they remain liquid at nearly –20 degrees Celsius. Newly released research in the journal Antarctic Science resolves the mystery, clarifying the processes that compel the falls to surface from below ground.
The Science of the Blood Falls
Taylor initially attributed the hue to red microalgae. More than a hundred years later, it is now understood that the redness arises from iron particles encapsulated with other elements such as silicon, calcium, aluminum, and sodium in nanospheres. These are likely derived from ancient bacteria imprisoned underground: When the iron comes into contact with air, it oxidizes, leading to the characteristic rust color.
The fluid is a hypersaline brine that formed around two million years ago as the Antarctic Ocean receded. Its elevated salinity prevents it from freezing, enabling it to flow out intermittently.
The Recent Revelation
The ultimate question was what physically triggered the fluid to burst forth. The answer surfaced from examining GPS data, thermal sensors, and high-resolution photographs from 2018. The Blood Falls are a result of pressure fluctuations in the brine beneath the glacier.
As Taylor Glacier shifts, its ice mass compresses the subglacial channels, generating substantial pressure. When the stress reaches a critical point, the ice fractures: Pressurized brine seeps through fissures and erupts. This expulsion functions as a hydraulic brake, temporarily hindering the glacier’s movement. This finding seems to clarify the enigmas surrounding the Blood Falls, although the effects of global warming on the system remain ambiguous.
This narrative originally appeared on WIRED Italia and has been translated from Italian.