Scientists have aptly named this outflow “Blood Falls,” attributing its striking color to its mineral makeup. They also found that the glacier terminus shared far more eukaryotic species with nearby marine samples than at other Dry Valley sites, further pointing to Blood Falls’ possibly ancient marine origins. “Adding eukaryotes to the mix contributes another independent line of evidence for the relic marine system at Blood Falls case,” Allen said. Blood Falls’ tiny survivorsBased on these findings, future studies could investigate the microorganisms living in Blood Falls to better understand when the subglacial water became trapped, revealing how the polar landscape evolved. Correction: August 6, 2026: This article previously misspelled the name of the person credited for the above photo of Blood Falls.