 The blue ice covering Lake Fryxell, in the Transantarctic Mountains, comes from glacial meltwater from the Canada Glacier and other smaller glaciers. The fresh water stays on top of the lake and freezes, sealing in briny water below. The McMurdo Dry Valleys are three valleys in Antarctica located within Victoria Land and near McMurdo Sound. The region includes Lake Vida.
Part of the Valleys has been designated an environmentally protected area in 2004. The Dry Valleys are so named because of their extremely low humidity.
Endolithic plants have been found living in the Dry Valleys, sheltered from the dry air in the (relatively) moist interior of rocks.
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