Imaging Active Hydrothermal Vents:
India’s Deep Ocean Mission recently achieved a landmark by capturing high-resolution images of an active hydrothermal vent 4,500 meters below the Indian Ocean’s surface.
- Hydrothermal vents are underwater hot springs near tectonic plate boundaries, expelling hot water and minerals from beneath the Earth’s crust into the ocean.
- They were first identified in 1977 near the Galapagos Islands, Ecuador.
- Cold seawater (around 2°C) seeps through fissures in the oceanic crust near tectonic activity,
- The water then contacts hot magma, heating to temperatures up to 370°C or higher,
- Superheated water then resurfaces as mineral-rich hydrothermal fluids, forming vents and plumes.
- Black Smokers: Emit particle-laden fluids, primarily containing iron sulfides, forming black chimney-like structures
- White Smokers: Emit fluids rich in barium, calcium, and silicon, forming white chimneys
