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

[@chucklesdarwinwaswrongevol9264]

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

[@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

[@hafizajiaziz8773]

This is a bloody amazing video

[@pbsterra]

🧛🏻‍♂️

[@queezel7633]

Great channel. Love those Tardigrades ;)

[@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!

[@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. 👊

[@valsptsd814]

I’d be tempted to taste highly salty water...that would be the drop that would start the zombie apocalypse. ✌️😁

[@socialex]

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

[@alicecat8942]

Dr Z. sent me!

[@alicecat8942]

Also amazing video, already subscribed.

[@pbsterra]

Welcome monster lovers!!! 🧟‍♀️

[@robertkelley1837]

Awesome, Thanks PBS Terra!!!

[@Xaiff]

"You can do that in your voice over" Got to love the sassy on. 😂😂😂😂

[@dadcancook4845]

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

[@pbsterra]

Happy Physicsing!

[@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!

[@Phyx1u5]

this channel is seriously underrated

[@TheNocturnalLogician]

Well, I called it. Also, Dr. Z sent me.

[@yapolloable]

I learned more science in this channel than geography lessons.

[@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.

[@caelan2960]

Wouldnt have found this amazing channel without the help of Diana

[@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.

[@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!

[@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.

[@jeremyouellet6447]

Dr. Z sent me! Very interesting video!

[@KNBARON]

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

[@vigneshs2886]

Damn :D

[@Rhythm911]

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

[@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

[@Dr.Nikolai27]

It's Okay to be Smart sent me here! Already subscribed and hooked on this series! Can't wait to see what I'll discover about my favorite beloved continent!

[@morenabuddies6479]

I've been waiting for this! 💖

[@0HARE]

Thanks, folks. This was fascinating content.

[@theimmortalsnail54]

My mom: It's because of the god damn phone!

[@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

[@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

[@cathryncollins3852]

Physicsgirl sent me!! Incredible video! So very helpful and informative. Wow mind blown!!!!!

[@Tealin]

Griff Taylor would be SO excited about this.

[@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?

[@cosminiancu8371]

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

[@ambergris5705]

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

[@adrianzarate1571]

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

[@b.c.4902]

This is so interesting. Glad I came across this channel

[@devashishgole4722]

Physics girl brought me here

[@oipr80]

Okay, this was fun and educational. Longer version?

[@jebes909090]

"It appears you have too much IRON in your water"

[@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..

[@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.

[@shama_k2604]

This was amazing 🤩🤩 physics girl sent me!

[@peaceout8365]

Chuck Norris punched that glacier.

[@digicraze]

Physics girl sent me!

[@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.

[@CP-nrg8p]

Roger at Mudfossil University here on KZbin will tell you exactly why this is happening.

[@codyrobinson1982]

Physics Girl....

[@markofthedevil845]

I get north, south, east, and west is pretty much arbitrary. But how is our sense of direction on other planets established, Is it in relation to the sun?

[@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.

[@FreakingRandomName]

Well dang. I was waiting to see what they found in the analysis of the sample from Blood Falls.

[@malakinbutobastos5644]

Aliens: and I would’ve gotten away with it if it weren’t for you medaling scientists!!!!

[@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👍

[@motorepoloh]

SpaceTime sent me here. Nice series btw.

[@thavill1990]

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

[@K1lly]

Suddenly, Cannibal Corpse: The Bleeding

[@xizuq6416]

Space Time, Eons, and Storied sent me here.

[@Arutax]

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

[@kakashisenpai99]

The creators of this KZbin channel make the toughest videos that are difficult to make for a normal human being

[@christianedelmann6880]

Deep look sent me! Loving this content!

[@dkdc2402]

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

[@HustlinHugh]

PBS Spacetime sent me, hope to learn alot ;)

[@jacksonstarky8288]

SpaceTime sent me here... and SciShow informed me that nematodes are everywhere. :-)

[@stigsindiancousin6997]

0:09 felt you bro

[@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

[@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.

[@alvinmercado6305]

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

[@RBFR01]

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

[@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.

[@jamesfigueroa2846]

They should dna test the blood

[@ambergimbel]

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

[@steviesosa5617]

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

[@gkpaulson]

SpaceTime sent me here. Rocking!

[@vincentsimon4037]

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

[@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…

[@kimopuppy]

Below freezing yet the water still flows

[@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.

[@karlumlusi5639]

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

[@Jackson-mi3dr]

7:40 Time to go mining in the underground caves boys

[@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.

[@ppilleppille1516]

Physics girl sent me Btw awesome video i loved it❤

[@ZigZagKid_AZ]

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

[@dogydoo1098]

THE LAKE IS LISTENING!

[@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?

[@Videohead27]

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

[@p-nutgallery2511]

Roger at Mudflood University knows why look him up

[@iFrostNight]

Peter Doran graduated from LSU!!! REPRESENT

[@OpieFromFlorida]

PBS Space Time sent me. Nerd on

[@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.

[@MrPenguln]

PBS space time set me!

[@patrickmccurry1563]

There are life forms with red, blue, green, clear, and violet blood. But I've never heard of anything with orange blood.

[@rogerroberts1310]

Define each of the color names you mention. They are from the English language. In other parts of the World the names do not always mean the same as in English. "Negro" is " black" in Latin, "Goch" is "Red" in Brythonic Celtic language, etc. Human blood is usually considered "red" under typical "normal" lighting but what is it under different light sources. In other words keep an open mind as to the meaning on what is being presented.