Definition
Hydrothermal vents are seafloor expressions of seawater circulation within the oceanic crust. Seafloor venting is driven by buoyancy of warm seawater-derived fluids that have mined heat and solutes from the basement rock. Temperatures and compositions of these fluids vary drastically, depending on the proximity of the heat source, basement composition, and local hydrological constraints. The venting of hydrothermal fluids is commonly associated with the deposition of hydrothermal precipitates, including sulfides, sulfates, carbonates, oxides, and hydroxides. In seafloor massive sulfide mounds, accumulation of these precipitates reaches extents that make them potentially economical for mining activities. Hydrothermal vent sites are also oases for life in a deep ocean otherwise mostly barren of macrofauna. Diverse and rich ecosystems can develop around areas of venting, and chemosynthetic microorganisms accomplish the primary production of biomass by converting geochemical...
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References
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Bach, W., Reeves, E.P. (2016). Hydrothermal Vents. In: White, W. (eds) Encyclopedia of Geochemistry. Encyclopedia of Earth Sciences Series. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-39193-9_110-1
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-39193-9_110-1
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