Question

SEP Explain Phenomena The water in Blood Falls cascades over a glacier before reaching Lake Bonney. Why does the water not freeze as it passes across the glacier?
short answer

Answer 1

Because it’s hypersaline brine from a subglacial reservoir: the very high salt concentration lowers its freezing point far below the air temperature, so the iron-rich water stays liquid as it flows across the glacier (and it's also coming from below the ice where it’s slightly warmer).