In one of the most inhospitable places on Earth, Antarctica hides a shocking phenomenon—Blood Falls, a bright red waterfall flowing from the Taylor Glacier. First discovered in 1911 by Australian geologist Griffith Taylor, the sight of red liquid spilling over the pristine white ice left early explorers and scientists baffled.
At first, scientists believed the red color came from pigmented algae, but no biological evidence supported this. The real cause turned out to be chemical: the water is rich in iron, and when it emerges from the glacier and meets oxygen, the iron oxidizes—similar to rusting metal—giving the falls their blood-like color.
