On August 4, 2023, a team led by W. Berry Lyons of The Ohio State University may have found out the reason behind Antarctica’s “Blood Fall,” located at Taylor Glacier. The Blood Falls have always been a mystery to the people, and people have always wanted to know why bright red water was gushing out of the waterfall. It was first discovered by an Austrian geologist named Giffith Taylor in 1911, when he was on an expedition. At first, Taylor thought the water was red because of algae, but later studies showed that his prediction was wrong. Say thanks to Lyons and his team because they just found out why, and it does not have to do anything with algae.
You might be surprised when you find out that W. Berry Lyons found the real reason why the waterfall’s water is bright red. According to Lyons and his team, when they analyzed the water, they found traces of iron and iron-rich nanospheres. These nanospheres are 100 times smaller than human red blood cells and are created by micro-bacteria that accumulate in subglacial lakes. These particles then oxidize the water, creating the distinctive red color. Study co-author Ken Livi said, “In order to be a mineral, atoms must be arranged in a very specific, crystalline structure. These nanospheres aren’t crystalline. So the methods previously used to examine the solids did not detect them.” This means that the previous method used to examine solids did not work.
Antarctica’s Blood Falls have always awed people since they were first discovered, but curiosity was always lingering around as no one really knew why the water was red until recently. Not only have we found out why, but we have also found a new method of testing that proves other things wrong. Even though we know what is behind the red water, every time we pass by it, we will still be amazed at how nature can have a red water waterfall.
Links: https://www.dogonews.com/2023/8/4/the-mystery-behind-antarcticas-blood-falls-may-finally-be-solved
You might be surprised when you find out that W. Berry Lyons found the real reason why the waterfall’s water is bright red. According to Lyons and his team, when they analyzed the water, they found traces of iron and iron-rich nanospheres. These nanospheres are 100 times smaller than human red blood cells and are created by micro-bacteria that accumulate in subglacial lakes. These particles then oxidize the water, creating the distinctive red color. Study co-author Ken Livi said, “In order to be a mineral, atoms must be arranged in a very specific, crystalline structure. These nanospheres aren’t crystalline. So the methods previously used to examine the solids did not detect them.” This means that the previous method used to examine solids did not work.
Antarctica’s Blood Falls have always awed people since they were first discovered, but curiosity was always lingering around as no one really knew why the water was red until recently. Not only have we found out why, but we have also found a new method of testing that proves other things wrong. Even though we know what is behind the red water, every time we pass by it, we will still be amazed at how nature can have a red water waterfall.
Links: https://www.dogonews.com/2023/8/4/the-mystery-behind-antarcticas-blood-falls-may-finally-be-solved