How do hydrothermal vents form? In some areas along the Mid-Ocean Ridge, the gigantic plates that form the Earth's crust are moving apart, creating cracks and crevices in the ocean floor.

Hydrothermal vents are abundant on Earth because it is both geologically active and has large amounts of water on its surface. Common land types include hot springs, fumaroles and geysers.

Hydrothermal vents were discovered in 1977 in the Pacific Ocean. Since then, they have been found in the Atlantic, Indian, and most recently, the Arctic Ocean.

provided images of hydrothermal vents in the first two years, and now has geodetic and chemical sampling capability.

Hydrothermal vents are locally very common 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.

Active hydrothermal vents are believed to exist on Jupiter's moon Europa, and ancient hydrothermal vents have been speculated to exist on Mars.

hydrothermal vents contain low amounts of manganese, sulfate, and elemental sulfur, while being abundant in silica, metals and dissolved gases.

hydrothermal vents and their ecology, from Washington State University * Black Smoker Chimneys - from Access Excellence Phase 2 - Looking Deeper from Different Perspectives

* Seafloor vents are often called hydrothermal vents: hydro means water and thermal means hot. * When it exits the seafloor, vent fluid temperature can beas high as 350°C (675°F) or hotter.

Perhaps the most striking feature of sea-floor hydrothermal vents is their dense biologic communities. Vent faunas tend to be dominated by mollusks, annelids, and crustaceans, whereas faunas on nonvent hard-bottom habitats consist predominantly of cnidarians, sponges, and echinoderms.

Hydrothermal vents are cracks in the ocean floor that emit jets of hot water loaded with minerals and bacteria. The vents range in diameter from less than an inch to mare than six feet.

Hydrothermal vents are fissures in the ocean floor that leak hot, acidic water. The size of the opemings range from less than half an inch to more than six feet in diameter.

the hydrothermal vents though the exact make-up of the biological community surrounding them depends on the chemicals, such as hydrogen sulfide, methane, iron, manganese and silica, found in the cold-seep fluid.

numerous and spectacular hydrothermal vents are found along world’s mid-ocean ridges. The heat source for these springs is the magma (molten rock) beneath the volcanic ridge system.

Earth Observatory have found evidence of hydrothermal vents on the seafloor near Antarctica, formerly a blank spot on the map for researchers wanting to learn more about seafloor formation and the bizarre life forms drawn to these extreme environments.

Hydrothermal VentsPage 1 of 1 Return to the Deep Sea Creatures Menu Deep Sea Hydrothermal Vents = Giant tube worms surrounding a hydrothermal vent Giant Tube Worms Near a Deep Sea Hydrothermal Vent.

Since their discovery in 1977, hydrothermal vents have been found along mid-ocean ridges on the seafloor of the Pacific, Atlantic, and Indian Oceans. These natural, deep-sea plumbing systems ventilate heat and minerals from the interior of the Earth, while supporting complex ecosystems of exotic organisms.