black smokers

September 20, 2006 8:20 PM

Hydrothermal vents: More detail on how they are formed. These vents are also known as Black Smokers, undersea hydrothermal vents which contain a mixture of ground water and water that has previously disolved in magma. The water emmited by these vents can be as hot as 400C. The minerals and bacteria found in this water support life in rather extream conditions. They are known to occur in places from from 30 meters to 3,600 meters. Some feel this offers hope of finding life on other planets as there is speculation there are, or where vents on Mars and Jupiter's Europa(bottom of page). Eye Candy: [1][2][3]
posted by edgeways (12 comments total)

Interesting FPP, could benefit from some hot spellcheck action.
posted by stenseng at 8:45 PM on September 20, 2006

we really need to send a probe to europa.
posted by delmoi at 9:16 PM on September 20, 2006

Hmm:


Recent observations with HST reveal that Europa has a very tenuous atmosphere (1e-11 bar) composed of oxygen. Of the many moons in the solar system only five others (Io, Ganymede, Callisto, Titan and Triton) are known to have atmospheres. Unlike the oxygen in Earth's atmosphere, Europa's is almost certainly not of biologic origin. It is most likely generated by sunlight and charged particles hitting Europa's icy surface producing water vapor which is subsequently split into hydrogen and oxygen. The hydrogen escapes leaving the oxygen.

To bad about the domain name, though.
posted by delmoi at 9:22 PM on September 20, 2006

Very interesting post, thanks! I wonder to what extent these phenomena will factor into efforts to find extraterrestrial life through spectrographic analyses.
posted by owhydididoit at 9:36 PM on September 20, 2006

I wonder to what extent these phenomena will factor into efforts to find extraterrestrial life through spectrographic analyses.

I wonder to what extent these phenomena will factor into efforts to find terrestrial life? Why the fascination with outer space when we know so very little about what happens in our own oceans?

Excellent post edgeways.
posted by three blind mice at 11:36 PM on September 20, 2006

Very cool. I still have hope for the oceans of Europa...
posted by jiawen at 1:59 AM on September 21, 2006

GREAT post, edgeways, thank you!
posted by yoga at 4:30 AM on September 21, 2006

ALL THESE WORLDS
ARE YOURS
EXCEPT EUROPA.
ATTEMPT
NO LANDINGS
THERE.
posted by Smart Dalek at 4:55 AM on September 21, 2006

Did anyone else see the names in the cutaway in the first link? "Tube Worm Pillar," "Hole to Hell," and "Tube Worm Barbecue."

That's awesome.
posted by hifiparasol at 6:22 AM on September 21, 2006

Here are some of the minions of Cthulu that live near hydrothermal vents.
posted by Pastabagel at 7:02 AM on September 21, 2006

"Why the fascination with outer space when we know so very little about what happens in our own oceans?"

Hopefully the study of alien oceans/environments will help us understand our own planet better.
posted by rosswald at 10:18 AM on September 21, 2006

Much of the exploration of the deep sea hydrothermal vents was done by the submersible Alvin, from the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute. One of my cherished memories is of an improptu tour of Lulu, the catamaran that was Alvin's first tender. It was 1983, I was a graduate student taking a summer course at the Woods Hole Marine Biology Labs, and I wandered down to the WHOI docks one afternoon and walked around looking at the research vessels. I saw Alvin perched on his cradle aboard Lulu and grinned delightedly at how gawkily cute the little guy was, more like a rubber ducky than a submarine.

A very pleasant gentleman came along and asked what I was laughing at, and I said Alvin was a charming little fella. After chatting a bit he asked if I would like to tour belowdecks in Lulu, and I accepted delightedly (afternoon lecture be damned). This gentleman turned out to be none other than Dr. Holger Jannasch, perhaps the father of deep-sea microbiology and one of the best-known investigators of hydrothermal vent biology. Dr. Jannasch showed me around Lulu's labs although she was due to retire shortly, as Alvin was getting a new tender. He wisely showed the labs first, then as I was regretting my choice of landlocked career he showed me the crew quarters (unoccupied while Lulu was in port). Life on land didn't look so bad at that point.

At any rate, it is fitting that one of those crazy deep sea vent extremophile microbes was named after Dr. Jannasch, and Alvin gave his name to the Alvinellidae tube worms that cluster around the black smokers. Despite this most tenuous personal connection, I've had a soft spot for these bizarre underwater ecosystems ever since I met Alvin, Lulu and Dr Jannasch all those years ago. Thanks for the post, edgeways!
posted by Quietgal at 9:59 PM on September 21, 2006