FACT or FIB: A hydrothermal vent can remain active for thousands of years.
Hydrothermal vents are created by fissures in the seafloor in regions of significant tectonic plate activity. As seawater trickles through the crust, it’s infused with dissolved gases and minerals en route to mixing with magma from the underlying mantle. The superheated liquid then reverses course and shoots back through the seabed, where chemical reactions produce the precipitation of minerals that are generally classified into two categories. Black smokers are vents that release dark deposits of iron sulfide, while white smokers unleash the lighter-colored accumulations of barium, calcium, and silicon.
Beyond generating impressive sediment chimneys, the vents have been found to nurture a bustling ecosystem of marine life, from microorganisms that derive fuel from chemical energy to swarms of tubeworms, fish, shrimp, clams, and crabs that thrive despite the absence of sunlight. Unfortunately, the discovery of gold, silver, and copper among the mineral deposits has ignited commercial interests in mining that could cause environmental damage. Yet scientists are hopeful that the abundance of life-forms, and the potential they offer for more discoveries, will lead to stricter protections for these underwater hot zones.
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