Ancient Life Discovered in Antarctica's 'Blood Falls' May Finally Reveal Its Origins
Scientists have confirmed that the iron-rich, crimson water at Antarctica's Blood Falls originates from ancient marine brine trapped beneath a glacier. Genetic analysis of microorganisms found in the water suggests they are descendants of marine life from a time when the valley was inundated by the ocean.
Why it matters
This discovery provides critical insights into how life can survive in extreme, isolated environments and helps reconstruct the paleoclimatic history of Antarctica.
At the edge of the Taylor Glacier in the McMurdo Dry Valleys of Antarctica, crimson water pours into Lake Bonney below. Scientists have aptly named this outflow “Blood Falls,” attributing its striking color to its mineral makeup. But despite decades of investigation into the falls, one important question has long gone unanswered: Where did this blood-red water come from?
Scientists believe the waterfall’s color stems from iron-rich brine discharged from beneath the glacier, and a study published today in the journal Nature Geoscience has revealed the water itself to be of ancient marine origin. The evidence lies in a community of microorganisms the researchers found hiding in the scarlet waters.
“Finding what is effectively a marine oasis in a polar desert—more than 20 miles from the ocean—was extraordinary,” co-author Andrew Allen , a marine biology professor at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography, told Gizmodo in an email.
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