close
    what is hydrothermal vent?

    0  Views: 335 Answers: 1 Posted: 12 years ago

    1 Answer

    A hydrothermal vent is a fissure in a planet's surface from which geothermally heated water issues. Hydrothermal vents are commonly found near volcanically active places, areas where tectonic plates are moving apart, ocean basins, and hotspots. Hydrothermal vents exist because the earth is both geologically active and has large amounts of water on its surface and within its crust. Common land types include hot springs, fumaroles and geysers. Under the sea, hydrothermal vents may form features called black smokers. Relative to the majority of the deep sea, the areas around submarine hydrothermal vents are biologically more productive, often hosting complex communities fueled by the chemicals dissolved in the vent fluids. Chemosynthetic archaea form the base of the food chain, supporting diverse organisms, including giant tube worms, clams, limpets and shrimp. Active hydrothermal vents are believed to exist on Jupiter's moon Europa, and ancient hydrothermal vents have been speculated to be on Mars.



    Top contributors in Earth Sciences & Geology category

     
    ROMOS
    Answers: 69 / Questions: 0
    Karma: 4410
     
    jhharlan
    Answers: 59 / Questions: 0
    Karma: 3495
     
    Benthere
    Answers: 7 / Questions: 0
    Karma: 3285
     
    country bumpkin
    Answers: 47 / Questions: 0
    Karma: 2835
    > Top contributors chart

    Unanswered Questions

    afsa
    Answers: 0 Views: 12 Rating: 0
    Neagrex Japan
    Answers: 0 Views: 17 Rating: 0
    how to see profile ?
    Answers: 0 Views: 12 Rating: 0
    debetcasa
    Answers: 0 Views: 13 Rating: 0
    Best Indian Restaurant in Columbus, OH
    Answers: 0 Views: 34 Rating: 0
    8xbet7one
    Answers: 0 Views: 19 Rating: 0
    hb886nl
    Answers: 0 Views: 18 Rating: 0
    > More questions...
    459347
    questions
    721258
    answers
    772409
    users