Massive expanse of towering hydrothermal vents discovered deep in the Pacific

By Nicoletta Lanese published 3 days ago

These vents are located off Mexico's western coast.



black, mineral-filled water shown spewing out of a hydrothermal vent that a robot is collecting samples from
Researchers surveyed hydrothermal vents in the Pacific using temperature loggers manufactured by EP Oceanographic. The loggers collect data every ten minutes, in order to track changes in vent fluid temperature that can be used to infer changes in permeability of the crust beneath the vent. (Image credit: Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, National Deep Submergence Facility, remotely operated vehicle Jason team, WHOI-MISO Facility, National Science Foundation)


Scientists sent underwater robots into the depths of the Pacific, about 1.5 miles (2.5 kilometers) beneath the surface, and discovered something unexpected: a football field-size expanse of towering hydrothermal vents that cropped up in an area these underwater chimneys haven't typically been seen.

The vents, shaped like candelabras, stand roughly 35 to 40 feet (10 to 12 meters) tall, or about as tall as three-story buildings, the research team leaders, from Lehigh University, said in a statement(opens in new tab). These striking structures gush black, mineral-filled water that reaches temperatures of up to 694 degrees Fahrenheit (368 degrees Celsius), although the water likely starts out at an even higher temperature, closer to 818 F (437 C), the team determined. Such high temperatures hint that a volcanic eruption may occur at the site in the next few years.

The newfound vent field is located about 200 miles (321 km) off the coast of western Mexico, in the East Pacific Rise, a range of underwater volcanoes that extends nearly from the Gulf of California to Antarctica.

"We were astounded that not only was the field very active, but it is larger in area and hotter in origin temperature than any other hydrothermal vent field known along this portion of the East Pacific Rise that has been studied for the past 30 years," Daniel Fornari, a marine geologist at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution in Massachusetts and a co-author of the paper, said in the statement.

More:
https://www.livescience.com/first-off-axis-pacific-hydrothermal-venting