Hydrothermal Vents
Go to: http://www.divediscover.whoi.edu/vents/index.html
Vent Basics:
Black smokers release hydrothermal fluid that is so hot (350˚ to 400˚), it can melt lead (Pb). The fluid carries dissolved metals from deep beneath the ocean floor. When the fluid mixes with seawater, these metals combine with sulfur to form tiny black particles. These particles make the fluid look like smoke.
Vent Boiling Points:
Pressure changes the boiling point. The deeper you go in the ocean the higher the pressure and as pressure goes up, more heat is needed for water molecules to vaporize and boil.
Vent Chemistry:
Cold seawater sinks down through cracks in the crust. Oxygen and potassium are removed from the seawater. Calcium, sulfate, and magnesium are removed from the fluid. Sodium, calcium, and potassium from the surrounding crust enter the fluid. The fluids have reached their highest temperatures. Hot fluids carrying dissolved metals rise up through crust. The hydrothermal fluids mix with cold, oxygen-rich seawater. Metals and sulfur combine to form black metal-sulfide minerals. The hot fluids mix with cold seawater below the surface, producing warm fluids that are rich in dissolved chemicals. Microbes thrive here by using chemosynthesis.
Vents Around the World:
Vents can found just about anywhere in the world. They're located most commonly in the Pacific Ocean and there are a few on land.
Vent Life:
Surprisingly animals can live around hydrothermal vents. They include:
-Octopus
-Tubeworms
-Zoarcid fish
-Clams
-Dandelion
-Shrimp
-Microbes
-Crabs
-Mussels
Tubeworm Anatomy:
Tubeworms have a cavity in which bacteria lives and helps the tubeworm survive. The bacteria creates sugar through chemosynthesis that the tubeworm uses as food.
Chemosynthesis:
Photosynthesis uses light to create food whereas chemosynthesis involves chemicals.
Go to: http://www.divediscover.whoi.edu/vents/index.html
Vent Basics:
Black smokers release hydrothermal fluid that is so hot (350˚ to 400˚), it can melt lead (Pb). The fluid carries dissolved metals from deep beneath the ocean floor. When the fluid mixes with seawater, these metals combine with sulfur to form tiny black particles. These particles make the fluid look like smoke.
Vent Boiling Points:
Pressure changes the boiling point. The deeper you go in the ocean the higher the pressure and as pressure goes up, more heat is needed for water molecules to vaporize and boil.
Vent Chemistry:
Cold seawater sinks down through cracks in the crust. Oxygen and potassium are removed from the seawater. Calcium, sulfate, and magnesium are removed from the fluid. Sodium, calcium, and potassium from the surrounding crust enter the fluid. The fluids have reached their highest temperatures. Hot fluids carrying dissolved metals rise up through crust. The hydrothermal fluids mix with cold, oxygen-rich seawater. Metals and sulfur combine to form black metal-sulfide minerals. The hot fluids mix with cold seawater below the surface, producing warm fluids that are rich in dissolved chemicals. Microbes thrive here by using chemosynthesis.
Vents Around the World:
Vents can found just about anywhere in the world. They're located most commonly in the Pacific Ocean and there are a few on land.
Vent Life:
Surprisingly animals can live around hydrothermal vents. They include:
-Octopus
-Tubeworms
-Zoarcid fish
-Clams
-Dandelion
-Shrimp
-Microbes
-Crabs
-Mussels
Tubeworm Anatomy:
Tubeworms have a cavity in which bacteria lives and helps the tubeworm survive. The bacteria creates sugar through chemosynthesis that the tubeworm uses as food.
Chemosynthesis:
Photosynthesis uses light to create food whereas chemosynthesis involves chemicals.