Antarctica's Blood Falls is iron rich water from Taylor Glacier
Antarctica's Blood Falls looks like something out of a sci-fi movie, a deep red liquid seeping from the Taylor Glacier.
The wild color isn't blood, though; it's super salty, iron-rich water that's been trapped under ice for millions of years.
When it finally escapes and hits the air, the iron rusts and turns the water a dramatic red, even in freezing temperatures.
Blood Falls microbes metabolize iron
What makes Blood Falls even cooler? It's home to microbes that survive without sunlight or oxygen by using iron and sulfur for energy, basically thriving where almost nothing else can.
Scientists say this could help us understand how life might exist on other planets.
Plus, Blood Falls is a reminder of how much we still have to learn about Earth's weirdest places: early explorers thought algae caused the color before realizing it was all chemistry.