Why is this Antarctic Glacier “Bleeding?” | Antarctic Extremes

Did you know that Antarctica has a glacier that bleeds red? (At least, that’s what it looks like.)
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Five stories high and emerging from the Taylor Glacier in the Dry Valleys of Antarctica, Blood Falls seeps into an ice-covered body of water called Lake Bonney. It’s one of the continent’s most enigmatic natural features and has fascinated scientists for decades. What makes it red? Does it always flow? And can anything actually survive near it? To find out-and see just how bizarre Blood Falls is with their own eyes-Caitlin and Arlo travel to the Dry Valleys, about 60 miles from McMurdo Station. There, they meet with microbiologist Jill Mikucki and hydrogeologist Peter Doran to investigate why this glacier looks the way it does, what lives there (spoiler: CHARISMATIC MICROBES!), and what clues it holds for finding and understanding life on other planets and moons in our solar system, like Mars, Jupiter’s Europa, and Saturn’s Enceladus. Answering these questions, it turns out, requires lots of probes, cameras, and even a massive sensor hanging from a helicopter.
Life Under the Ice photography Courtesy of Ariel Waldman. Produced with support of the National Science Foundation and the National Geographic Society. For more images check out lifeundertheic...
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Hosted by Caitlin Saks and Arlo Pérez
Digital Producer/Editor: Emily Zendt
Producer: Caitlin Saks
Digital Associate Producer: Arlo Pérez
Field Director/Cinematographer: Zachary Fink
Executive Producer: Julia Cort
Coordinating Producer: Elizabeth Benjes
Project Director: Pamela Rosenstein
Production Assistance: Matthew Buckley, Emily Pattison, Sean Cuddihy
Director of Audience Development: Dante Graves
Senior Digital Producer: Ari Daniel
Audience Engagement Editor: Sukee Bennett
Outreach Manager: Gina Varamo
Special thanks to Michael Amundson
Special thanks to the United States Antarctic Program
Additional Footage: Ariel Waldman, Bill Dunford, Brad Herried, Brian Wilcox, Byron Adams, Brigham Young University, G. Neukum (Freie Universitaet, Berlin), Denys Grombacher, ESA, JPL-Caltech, Lars Jensen, NASA, Peter Doran, Polar Geospatial Center, Ricardo Garza-Giron, Robert Simmons, Space Science Institute, University of Arizona, USGS
Music: APM
National corporate funding for NOVA is provided by Draper. Major funding for NOVA is provided by the David H. Koch Fund for Science, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, and PBS viewers. Additional funding is provided by the NOVA Science Trust.
Major funding for this project is provided by the National Science Foundation. Additional funding is provided by the Heising-Simons Foundation, The Kendeda Fund, the George D. Smith Fund, and the Richard Saltonstall Charitable Foundation.
This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant No. 1713552. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.
© WGBH Educational Foundation 2020

[@pbsterra]

CORRECTION: This video incorrectly states that Enceladus is a moon of Jupiter. It is a moon of Saturn.

[@broomemike1]

Awesome correction! It's so easy to get all of those moons mixed up without a strong mythology background:)

[@lerpmmo]

oof

[@UpcycleElectronics]

Lettuce Enceladus :-)

[@YaMumsSpecialFriend]

PBS Terra it also incorrectly pronounces AnTartica. The first T isn’t optional. Asides from that, great work!👍🏻

[@mudfossiluniversity]

I have research on this please contact me. I have new species at 8 min you see a new Hominid. kzbin.info/www/bejne/h4PYiYKuj9WUqK8

[@videotrexx]

My father's first cousin was one of the geologists who discovered Blood Falls, Thomas Erik Berg. He was killed in a helicopter crash in Antarctica in November, 1969. There's a mountain peak named after him, Berg Peak, as well as the Berg Field Center building at McMurdo Station.

[@kemigisaptience2223]

Yy was he killed they are more wierd discoveries they don't talk about🙄🙄

[@RonaldoTheGoat1234]

​@@kemigisaptience2223 what

[@unclecarl812]

Lmk if you need some work I be out berg peak. Clear and H for the low

[@run4funs24]

He must of found out the truth . About where the blood is actually is coming from. I think he found out that the beasts in the book of Enoch were actually real.

[@BrazilianImperialist]

Could you share with us his diary? Or thing he said, they didn't kill him for any reason

[@suokkos]

This gives me a feel like a good TV documentary. Too bad KZbin encourages shorter length videos. I feel this topic would have deserved a deeper look into details like how they measured water under ice using a flying probe etc.

[@vintagethrifter2114]

They literally said that it was called Skytem and that it uses electromagnetic waves. You can actually Google "SkyTem Antarctica" and find their own videos and report on this mission.

[@suokkos]

@@vintagethrifter2114 , Thanks. It was just a concrete example how ten minutes isn't enough for a good document. It felt like a good 45 to 60 minute document but details cut out. Just my feed back because they were asking for viewer feedback.

[@dahliaxxv5162]

10 min is already a lot

[@malafie9035]

@@dahliaxxv5162 ur attention span is broken

[@lynettetrenam4506]

It's a load of crap anyway, that's why it has no intellectual depth, because there is none!

[@chocolatereigns]

This show has unexpectedly changed my perception of the scientists living and working in Antarctica. Y'all seem fun and passionate about the work you're doing.

[@lurking_silhouette5802]

How come this channel hasn't gotten 1M subscribers yet? I'm in love with it❤️

[@naufalap]

oh dunno, maybe because it was created like 2 weeks ago? duh 🙄🙄🙄

[@pbsterra]

We’re new here 😎. Tell your friends!

[@MrBonners]

@@pbsterra " Please Sir...Can we have some more?"

[@MrBonners]

Go to channel and "About".

[@revenantsinnerman3968]

I blame the dumbing down of the education system ...and short attention spa.....oh look a red car

[@marciaguy10899]

I’m so grateful that you guys are posting on KZbin, thank you so much for sharing this on an easy to reach platform!

[@diegoaespitia]

I feel like this could be a scene in a horror movie. Like Antarctic explorers going about and then.... this big red spot in all of the white snowy landscape.... they investigate only to find an ancient being slumbering beneath the surface!

[@docaxolotl1598]

Blood Glacier kinda

[@paycheck2061]

Lol don’t resist your hunches my friend your right on track. Research gog and Magog and the ancient civilazation the reason why I came to this video is for that reason I’ve been doing my research on it and it clearly says they have been trapped under ground for thousands of years and guess how they got trapped….IRON…. Ding ding ding

[@chucklesdarwinwaswrongevol9264]

Just when you didn’t think Antarctica could not be any weirder

[@hansisbrucker813]

They should rename Blood Falls into Rust Falls 🤔 Also send here via Physics Girl btw.

[@NelsonBrown]

Blood is red because of hemoglobin, which contains iron. Blood is rusty when we usually see it.

[@hansisbrucker813]

@@NelsonBrown I know :)

[@hopeworld9515]

Blood falls just sounds cooler

[@robijuli236]

Yeah I agree it rly doesn’t look like a blood red.. maybe like a diluted, dried blood lol

[@deaconofbiology6249]

Hey! There I am at the 1:27 mark, right behind Jill Mikucki! This was an amazing trip!

[@queezel7633]

Great channel. Love those Tardigrades ;)

[@hafizajiaziz8773]

This is a bloody amazing video

[@pbsterra]

🧛🏻‍♂️

[@socialex]

The cut is a little strange but I'm going to show this to my kids.

[@WildTroutMan]

Oh, we need more content!! I wasn’t expecting this to end so soon. Fascinating stuff but this was just a teaser for my scientific mind. Looking forward to more information. Thank you. 👊

[@alicecat8942]

Dr Z. sent me!

[@alicecat8942]

Also amazing video, already subscribed.

[@pbsterra]

Welcome monster lovers!!! 🧟‍♀️

[@robertkelley1837]

Awesome, Thanks PBS Terra!!!

[@drheidisevestre]

Thank you for SUCH an amazing video guys! I flew over the blood falls last january, I still cannot quite believe it. An absolute dream come true!

[@dadcancook4845]

Physics girl sent me! Big up the Love for Diana!

[@pbsterra]

Happy Physicsing!

[@Phyx1u5]

this channel is seriously underrated

[@bitegoatie]

No questions have been begged here. Many questions have been raised by the phenomena described in this lovely video. So tighten the editing and proofreading and keep the videos coming.

[@alvarorodriguez1592]

Space time sent me! While I’m here I’ll ask a question...from my experience all microbial life is transparent. Is it really like that? And if it that’s the case,why? Aren’t there opaque tiny things? Love what you do! Enjoy Anctartica for me while you’re there!

[@caelan2960]

Wouldnt have found this amazing channel without the help of Diana

[@kimberleyh1946]

I was thinking that it could be from a hot spring or geyser that cools so much as it reaches the top. Because heated H2O can absorb more salt, and could carry dissolved minerals like iron...or a brine river...love pondering this stuff. great article

[@faridjafari6356]

In other documentaries about Antarctica we always see that the scientific station buildings have to adjust their elevations because of the changes of the thickness of the Ice they are located on. As mentioned here in this video there are parts of Antarctica which are not covered with ice and snow, so why don't we take all the scientific stations to these areas and settle them directly on earth and make them permanent? Even by digging caves and bunkers into the rocks of the mountains around, stations can be embedded into the mountains and beneath earth so with least heat exchange there will be least energy needed to warm these stations plus least environmental impact on Antarctica.

[@jeremyouellet6447]

Dr. Z sent me! Very interesting video!

[@yapolloable]

I learned more science in this channel than geography lessons.

[@Rhythm911]

PBS is STILL the BEST for science info. BRAVO !!!

[@rottenpoet6675]

smart scientist: its negative 5celsius poor american: how much fahrenheit?

[@F...G...]

also poor american: 5.2 = almost ten

[@queenkassie]

Actually it would be 10.4 so we will be over 10

[@F...G...]

You smooth brain. LMAO

[@kegsofvomitspit]

Could someone translate Cristopher Reeves’ comment into English?

[@Vera-qi3sv]

Don't you think is time for you to know that? Check it out and do the math.

[@alondragutierrez2280]

Has anybody seen the horror movie Blood glaciers before I think this is where they got the idea from.

[@sparkynm156]

A massive amount of long passed creatures or one Big Ctesture, that have petrified or turned into mud fossils and are finally giving up the Iron from Their Blood..Seriously Or it could be water very rich in iron, like my neighbors well. Personally, I like my first suggestion. That is always amazing to find. A huge mud fossil of a long passed ancient creature or man that looks perfectly preserved in mud fossil, shape yet still retains the iron, breaking down from the blood.

[@oipr80]

Okay, this was fun and educational. Longer version?

[@uncredited_user2602]

I know, I know I've let you down I've been a fool to myself I thought that I could live for no one else But now, through all the hurt and pain It's time for me to respect The ones you love mean more than anything So, with sadness in my heart Feel the best thing I could do Is end it all and leave forever What's done is done, it feels so bad What once was happy now is sad I'll never love again My world is ending I wish that I could turn back time 'Cause now the guilt is all mine Can't live without the trust from those you love I know we can't forget the past You can't forget love and pride Because of that, it's killing me inside It all returns to nothing It all comes tumbling down Tumbling down, tumbling down It all returns to nothing I just keep letting me down Letting me down, letting me down In my heart of hearts I know that I could never love again I've lost everything, everything Everything that matters to me matters in this world I wish that I could turn back time 'Cause now the guilt is all mine Can't live without the trust from those you love I know we can't forget the past You can't forget love and pride Because of that, it's killing me inside It all returns to nothing It just keeps tumbling down Tumbling down, tumbling down It all returns to nothing I just keep letting me down Letting me down, letting me down It all returns to nothing It just keeps tumbling down Tumbling down, tumbling down It all returns to nothing I just keep letting me down Letting me down, letting me down Ah, ah, ah, ah Tumbling down Tumbling down Tumbling down Ah, ah, ah, ah Letting me down Letting me down Letting me down Ah, ah, ah, ah Tumbling down Tumbling down Tumbling down Ah, ah, ah, ah Letting me down Letting me down Letting me down

[@rwstavros]

Lake Bonney has a chemocline below it the water is 300 times saltier than sea water. There is a lens of fresh water and ice on top of the lake. There is also a mineral at the bottom called dihydrohalite… which is an ice crystal with sodium chloride. We found it at the bottom of the lake in 1973 and 1974

[@0HARE]

Thanks, folks. This was fascinating content.

[@roselynnel5176]

This is truly fascinating! So many mysterious things in this planet that we earthlings live in. All scientists can do is to speculate on the whys and hows.

[@b.c.4902]

This is so interesting. Glad I came across this channel

[@shama_k2604]

This was amazing 🤩🤩 physics girl sent me!

[@thavill1990]

I'm really REALLY enjoying this channel. Everything is done so bloody well. 👍

[@kenycharles8600]

So, have you looked into solar influence to see if there is solar particle forcing involved with the flow times and rate of flow at this spring? Is there a heavier flow during times when the Aurora is visible?

[@scottgroetsch9691]

It's a real Dragon beneath the ice!I saw a video where this man shows an image beneath the ice and it clearly shows a dead dragon and it's the biggest thing that I ever saw!The funny thing is,I can't find that video anymore!! If anyone can find that video, please let me know.. Thank you..

[@devashishgole4722]

Physics girl brought me here

[@alvinmercado6305]

This channel is fantastic. Somehow the cold stillness and aliennnes of antartica seem so calm and welcoming in todays political climate. Cheers.

[@Himanshu-wg3ib]

Enceladus is a moon of Saturn not Jupiter

[@caitlinsaks4910]

Hi Jai! Thank you so much for pointing out this error. We've pinned a correction comment up top, and will be replacing the video on NOVA and PBS's websites today. Can't believe we made such a stupid error! We do take accuracy very seriously, and appreciate the feedback. THANK YOU.

[@ambergris5705]

So, basically, Dry Valleys is studied because of the unique water features? Wouldn't have guessed!

[@maxbrazil3712]

Thanks for driving that image of caramel sauce right out of my head. Thanks a lot.

[@newgenerationanpanman7870]

I am so lucky to have discovered this channel thanks to physics girl👍

[@christianedelmann6880]

Deep look sent me! Loving this content!

[@motorepoloh]

SpaceTime sent me here. Nice series btw.

[@tomjohn8733]

Very interesting, I wonder if they got a chance to join the vanda lake club, lol, its where people run out to the lake, get wet and run back, lol…it’s kind of a crazy tradition thing, people who visited the dry valley lakes…

[@codyrobinson1982]

Physics Girl....

[@adrianzarate1571]

I loved how the scientist was using Celsius and didn't have an idea about Farenheit.

[@steviesosa5617]

"Who's listening?" Your audience lol. That was hilarious 😂 The scientist is a good time! 🐧 "What the fvck are we doing here?" 🤣

[@Yasharvl]

btw, that colour, it’s not red.

[@ps-uj5dm]

It's shit

[@saurabh6453]

Click bait

[@steviesosa5617]

I see a deep red lol...

[@steviesosa5617]

What is the color you perceive rust or copper to be?

[@HustlinHugh]

PBS Spacetime sent me, hope to learn alot ;)

[@stigsindiancousin6997]

0:09 felt you bro

[@KNBARON]

Not to spoil it but ....... It’s a Defrosting whale, that was stuck in the glacier... One of thousands...

[@vigneshs2886]

Damn :D

[@normanbradley2536]

Could the iron be from a buried meteor?

[@Ryanfinder226]

Earth’s crust is full of iron. Probably been sleeping into the aquifer for ages

[@cosminiancu8371]

"Wow, negative five Celsius is how much Fahrenheit?" "You could do that in your voiceover." Savage!

[@Bastette]

Yes but the pressure isnt just from the glacier I think it's more so related to the magnetic field awakening which would create more gravity and apply more pressure.

[@xizuq6416]

Space Time, Eons, and Storied sent me here.

[@gkpaulson]

SpaceTime sent me here. Rocking!

[@peaceout8365]

Chuck Norris punched that glacier.

[@ppilleppille1516]

Physics girl sent me Btw awesome video i loved it❤

[@danielscissorhands7809]

More please very interesting keep it up !!!

[@K1lly]

Suddenly, Cannibal Corpse: The Bleeding

[@RBFR01]

Water that flows doesn't freeze but also the salt content.

[@ZigZagKid_AZ]

That is awesome. These guys are lucky to do this.

[@karlumlusi5639]

Why history are too thrilll and mysterious wish i could be archeologist one day

[@nata3467]

Watching shows like this make me fearful for our future- the damage being done to Antarctica is going to mean disasters we can not truly imagine.

[@dirtdiggler9293]

It’s rust from rebar, megalithic structures hidden by time and pressures and more time and...... then a lot more time with time sprinkled on top.

[@michaelanderson3096]

Looks similar to the moon Europa - Blood Falls😮

[@manavpatra4808]

Having a sudden urge of watching "The Martian" again after viewing Blood Falls... and then @5:13 confirmed it!!! Ahem... Entrainment Theory! wink

[@jessedugal6125]

So a month ago you guys were having 24 hour days right?

[@MrPenguln]

PBS space time set me!

[@dogydoo1098]

THE LAKE IS LISTENING!

[@vincentsimon4037]

Either it's iron or some type of microorganism. Blood? Come on man!

[@hordesCoffee]

Iron oxide makes it appear blood red on snow. Iron oxide can come from many avenues of sources. Could point towards and underground river or cavern. Or past or fairly recent lava vents that's approximately 200k to 100k years old. Something has caused the ground to be much warmer than it is. So a possible fissure is forming or this is past events from when Antarctica was created

[@p-nutgallery2511]

Roger at Mudflood University knows why look him up

[@dkdc2402]

Summary; it was a dirty lake underneath. Snow melted and it came up.

[@coreybarbour4257]

God Im commenting on youtube.... These discharges are very familiar to iron pyrite discharges you would see in West Virginia. Could there be a coal seam underneath or in this area? (yes more than likely) This is very common colorization of the waters when they freeze also. Salts are very common within the discharge of coal seam layers which could provide the liquidity of the water you are seeing.

[@lapplandsjagare]

Hello from Sweden

[@Videohead27]

Dr O’Dowd sent the PBS space time goons to say hello :~)

[@prakashbhaskar8456]

Great stuff.. I wonder if its the same as shown in Octonauts?

[@ambergimbel]

They had the hots for each other in the end because there wasn't anyone else...

[@СергейРусский-ъ1ф]

It's very nice video, informative so

[@redhammer9910]

That was really interesting. What a great opportunity for bright young people.

[@pinky6390]

If you want to understaand what the blood falls is, you should listen to Tore says show 04 May 2021 Antartica one......might be to heavy for some of you...just a warning.

[@a.i.chemist2261]

Iron and Sodium rich water? I wonder how the activity relates to pole shifts?

[@sethdilloniskillingthebee512]

Your showing me brown ice and keep saying its a beautiful red. Thats science too, you're told how beautiful the red is so when you get there you have the color programed into your subconscious already and that is what your mind tells your eyes its seeing.

[@Justin1337Sane]

Nuclear leak?? U.S. Department of Energy, the Atomic Energy Commission and the U.S. Navy in 1962. In that year the U.S. Navy delivered a nuclear reactor to Antarctica to power the McMurdo Station.

[@OpieFromFlorida]

PBS Space Time sent me. Nerd on

[@Arutax]

Blood Falls looks like Pizza Sauce and Cheese at first glance....

[@Alexander-is9jo]

I love this channel.

[@WubiWatkins]

Upper Wisconsin has this

[@Ztingjammer]

Came here from Physics Girl. Love from Sweden ❤

[@NelsonBrown]

Blood turns red when hemoglobin (containing iron) is exposed to air. So most of the time we can see blood, it’s rusty. The ancients were right when they thought the planet Mars was the color of blood, the color associated with the god of war.

[@zintosion]

The ending scene was cute.

[@joyfullone3968]

It looks more orange than red!🍊

[@franciscoxavier9631]

An extraterrestrial experience 😱

[@winstonpoplin]

This is fantastic.

[@rogerroberts1310]

Just had an idea while looking back over these comments: would someone either point out a video (that is the "source of informat" you seem to agree on) coveting how the population if this planet came to disagree on measurement(s)? Or, If there is no video, one should be developed.