HYDROTHERMAL VENTS
HISTORY OF VENTS
¾ First vents were
found in 1977 along
the Galapagos
Spreading Center
¾ Since the vents
discovery more than
400 species have
been described
Geological Oceanography
Jaime Miller
WHAT ARE HYDROTHERMAL
VENTS?
¾ submarine springs where nutrient rich
fluids emanate from the sea floor
¾vents occur along active mid-ocean
ridges and back-arc spreading centers
White smoker
Black smoker
HOW VENTS FORM
Sea-floor Spreading
¾ Form where crustal plates
are slowly spreading
apart
¾ Normally found along the
crest of oceanic midocean ridges
HOW VENTS WORK
1. Cold seawater sinks
down through cracks
in the crust
2. Components such
as oxygen and
potassium are
removed from the
seawater
3. Calcium, sulfate, and
magnesium are
removed from the
remaining fluid
HOW VENTS WORK
4. Sodium, calcium, and
potassium from the
surrounding crust enter
the fluid
5. Fluids reach their
maximum temperature
and copper, zinc, iron,
and hydrogen sulfide
from the crust dissolve
into the fluids
HYDROTHERMAL VENT
SPECIES
HOW VENTS WORK
6. Hot fluids carrying
the dissolved metals
rise up through the
crust
7. Hydrothermal fluids
mix with the cold,
oxygen rich
seawater
HYDROTHERMAL VENT
SPECIES
¾ Sea floor spreading
rate and topographic
features are the likely
influence the
biogeography
¾ Six biogeographic
provinces are
recognized
OTHER POSSIBLE REASONS
FOR SPECIES VARIANCES
¾Bathymetric differences
¾Differences in sedimentation
¾Delivery of photosynthetically derived
organic material
¾Frequent volcanic eruptions engulfing
existing vent communities allowing new
communities to form
COMMON VENT SPECIES
BACTERIA
TUBE WORMS
COMMON VENT SPECIES
SHRIMP
FISH
COMMON VENT SPECIES
CRABS
MUSSELS
COMMON VENT SPECIES
OCTOPUS