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hydrothermal vent
(redirected from Hydrothermal vents)

    Also found in: Encyclopedia, Wikipedia, Hutchinson 0.01 sec.
hydrothermal vent
A fissure on the floor of a sea out of which flows water that has been heated by underlying magma. The water can be as hot as 400°C (752°F) and usually contains dissolved minerals that precipitate out of it upon contact with the colder seawater, building a stack of minerals, or chimney. Hydrothermal vents form an ecosystem for microbes and animals, such as tubeworms, giant clams, and blind shrimp, that can withstand the hostile environment. The hottest hydrothermal vents are called black smokers because they spew iron and sulfide which combine to form iron monosulfide, a black compound.
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When Susan Humphris was in graduate school in the late 1970s, hydrothermal vents had not been discovered yet.
Into the abyss: an ocean scientist plunges to the seafloor in search ... by Norlander, Britt / Science World
Scientists working off the California coast use chemical-sniffing probes, robotically driven subs, and seafloor-tethered temperature sensors to watch flows of lava pave over a once-thriving ecosystem at hydrothermal vents several kilometers below the ocean's surface.
Venting concerns: exploring and protecting deep-sea communities by Raloff, Janet / Science News
There are almost as many species on whale falls as have been found on hydrothermal vents, which have been studied for a lot longer.
Whale falls: it's not just a carcass, it's dinner by Mulvaney, Kieran / E
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