What gives Antarctic Blood Falls its red color?
A 2022 study examined surface material from Blood Falls using complementary laboratory techniques. The authors attribute its red color to oxidation of dissolved iron and formation of iron-rich, non-crystalline nanospheres, refining explanations based on conventional crystalline iron minerals.
Sklute, Mikucki, Dyar, Lee, Livi and Mitchell (2022), Frontiers in Astronomy and Space Sciences, DOI 10.3389/fspas.2022.843174, Figure 1.
CC BY 4.0. © 2022 the authors. Figure reproduced unmodified with attribution; no separate exclusion noted in its caption.
Scope and limitations
This is scientific context, not a newly circulating conspiracy claim. The study examined ten surface samples from two field seasons; it does not resolve every question about the brine reservoir or all Antarctic red-colored features. The authors note that other elements may also influence color.