A massive field of hydrothermal vents on the seafloor in the dark depths of the East Pacific ocean is the hottest and largest discovered in the region yet.
Not only that, but it's in a place scientists didn't expect to find active vents, never mind an entire system of them, hundreds of meters from the axis of a volcanic ridge.The discovery, scientists say, could have a significant impact on our understanding of vent systems, and the role they play in ocean ecosystems.
Not only is this an amazing testament to"life finds a way", but it reveals a mechanism whereby life might exist on other worlds, such as theThey're also deeply important to the ocean as a whole, supplying a transport system from Earth's interior that helps regulate ocean chemistry and temperature. But, because they're often found at depths that aren't particularly hospitable to humans, our understanding of them is really incomplete.
"The mapping work provides a detailed picture of the seafloor so that we can monitor and quantify changes that occur when the next volcanic eruption happens along this portion of the East Pacific Rise ridge axis,"It was during this survey that the team saw the pinnacles of a huge vent field, 750 meters east of the ridge axis, and 5 to 7 kilometers north of the closest known active on-axis vents.
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