2023-08-10 16:14:15
More than two kilometers below the surface of the Pacific Ocean, biologists have discovered that small underwater volcanoes harbor life. Under magmatic conduits warming the cold waters of the abyss, animal species have built real ecosystems in order to be able to develop there.
In the depths of the oceans, marine biologists regularly make astonishing discoveries. But over the past few weeks, an international team of scientists affiliated with the Schmidt Ocean Institute was able to observe signs of life near an underwater volcanic source. A real first, detailed in a press release published on August 8. Using a small robot, the researchers searched the ocean floor of the East Pacific Ridge, which extends along the west coast of America.
Magmatic conduits, several hundred meters below the surface
Off the coast of Panama, the oceanographic vessel RV Falkor plows through the waters of the Pacific Ocean. On board, French, German, American and Austrian marine biologists coordinate the efforts of the remotely operated vehicle subastian, capable of diving to a depth of 4,500 meters. The latter worked for thirty days to return the volcanic rocks of hydrothermal mountains. Located on oceanic ridges, straddling two tectonic plates, these magmatic conduits discovered in 1977 evacuate the heat emitted from the depths of the earth’s crust.
At these depths, the water temperature does not exceed 2°C. The cold fluid rushes into the pipe and when it meets the magma, heated to more than 1,200°C, it heats up. The pressure causes an effect similar to that of a geyser, propelling the fluid out of the hydrothermal vent. The heat around these sources is then around 25°C. Over the past 45 years, scientists have thoroughly dissected the environment around these underwater vents. But it was by digging under the hydrothermal vents that the SuBastian robot detected and photographed real fauna under the chimneys of the East Pacific Ridge.
At the heart of aquatic life, 2,500 meters below the surface
The heated waters around the hydrothermal vents attract several varieties of animals: worms, sea snails as well as several types of microscopic organisms such as bacteria. One of the most represented species in these environments is the giant tubeworm. Several tens of centimeters long, tube worms form a veritable “community” under the ocean floor, taking advantage of hydrothermal vents to dig veritable tunnels. In a few years, the worms can take root and build a real ecosystem conducive to their development. Biologists, however, have not been able to determine whether the larvae can move through the ducts.
The discovery of Schmidt Ocean Institute is the demonstration that life ” always find a way “, even at 2,500 meters deep. Remember that for the time being, only 5% of the oceans have been explored… There is no doubt that new underwater expeditions will teach us more regarding the species and the characteristics of the ecosystems, hundreds of meters below sea level.
—
The new issue of Mag’ Futura ” How does the cosmos influence us? is now available on newsstands:
I find the Mag’ Future on newsstands
In this new issue, discover:
1 central file: “How does the cosmos influence us?” “; 1 opening file on an environmental issue: “Facing Gaïa – Mountains, sanctuaries under pressure”; And many other formats to better understand the world and preserve it: The animal of the quarter, Mechanics of beauty , Where is the Tech going?, The cosmic epiphany, Science in comics…
1691694770
#Abundant #unexpected #life #discovered #caves #hydrothermal #vents
