The places that Life goes...

 

...are truly amazing. Here we have the 'Blood Falls' from the Taylor Glacier in the McMurdo Dry Valleys of Antarctica. The frozen falls were observed in 1911, they were originally thought to contain algae which gave them their distinct red blood color. However the truth is a little bit more fun.

Approximately 2 million years ago, the Taylor Glacier covered and sealed off a small body of water under its thick ice. This small body of water became effectively cut off from all external sources of light, heat, oxygen, and water that was not included in the glacier's bottom. This lake was and is high in salinity and quite iron rich, yielding the red color observed in the falls. It's colony of microbial life became a time capsule and are a great example of the tenacity of extremophiles and Life itself. Similar 'water below the ice' conditions exist off-world, including Europa, and on Mars (hint, hint, clue, clue). Hope to see that headline in my lifetime. 

More here at Atlas Obscura....