Hydrothermal vents in the deep ocean typically form along the mid-ocean ridges, such as the East Pacific Rise and the
The … See more

Some hydrothermal vents form roughly cylindrical chimney structures. These form from minerals that are dissolved in the vent fluid. When the superheated water contacts the near-freezing sea water, the minerals precipitate … See more

Hydrothermal plumes are fluid entities that manifest where hydrothermal fluids are expelled into the overlying water column at active hydrothermal vent sites. As hydrothermal fluids typically harbor physical (e.g., … See more

Life has traditionally been seen as driven by energy from the sun, but deep-sea organisms have no access to sunlight, so biological communities around hydrothermal vents must depend on nutrients fo… See more

In 1949, a deep water survey reported anomalously hot brines in the central portion of the Red Sea. Later work in the 1960s confirmed the presence of hot, 60 °C (140 °F), saline brines and associated metalliferou… See more