Hydrothermal Vents Research Paper

Hydrothermal Vents

In 1977, Robert Ballard and J.F. Grassle of the Woods Hole Oceanographic Instution, were diving in Alvin near the Galapagos Islands when they discovered rocky chimneys up to 20 meters high. These chimneys were emitting dark, mineral-laden water that reached temperatures of 350 degrees Celsius. The occupants of Alvin had discovered the first documented hydrothermal vent. These vents are formally defined as "springs of hot, mineral- and gas-rich seawater found on some oceanic ridges in zones of active seafloor spreading" (Garrison, 2004). Hydrothermal vents are found in ocean basins throughout the world. They are often compared to geysers of the deep ocean. And similar to above-ground geysers, hydrothermal vents
Vents provide an environment for many different life forms. The hydrogen sulfide, carbon dioxide, and oxygen that are present at hydrothermal vents provide the ability of specialized bacteria to live. These bacteria are the base of the food chain from which other organisms in the hydrothermal vent community depend. For example, there are large crabs, clams, sea anemones, shrimp, and unusual worms that populate the hydrothermal vent community. These larger life forms rely on the native bacteria as well as chemosynthesis to survive. Chemosynthesis is to these animals as photosynthesis is to land dwelling organisms. It is the process which provides energy to the vent-dwelling organisms. Chemosynthesis is the production of usable energy directly from the energy-rich inorganic molecules available in the environment rather than from the sun (Garrison, 2004). Using chemosynthesis, the organisms that live near the hydrothermal vents are able to function and
Many scientists believe that these organisms could be the ancestors to the first living organisms that evolved on this planet. After the Earth's formation, the planet was a volatile place. The atmosphere as we know if was forming and world above the sea was uninhabitable. Thus, scientists look to the sea as a place of origin to life as we know it. With proof that life can survive near hydrothermal vents using chemosynthesis today, scientists hypothesize that early life could use the same resources after the ocean was formed and early life was estimated to have begun. So from the theories of evolution, to the fact that these newly discovered species of organisms may spur development of new drugs, industrial processes, and other products, the research of hydrothermal vents can affect us all. Hydrothermal vents not only support life, but they also support the ocean and planet as a whole. These vents provide a release for water and minerals that are cycled through the ocean and mantle. They are part of a recycling process that creates and maintains the sea floor. The vents also play an important role in regulating the ocean's temperature, chemistry and circulation patterns. This has an effect on the earth's atmosphere and environment. Thus, hydrothermal vents both directly and indirectly regulate the ocean and the planet as a