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Massive Hydrothermal Vent Field Found in the East Pacific Ocean: Details
Massive Hydrothermal Vent Field Found in the East Pacific Ocean: Details,Deep beneath the surface of the Pacific Ocean, researchers, from Lehigh University, have discovered a high-temperature off-axis hydrothermal vent field on the floor of ocean. It has been found at the depth of 2,550 metres and is likely to help scientists understand the impact of such vents on the life and chemistry of the oceans of the Earth.

Massive Hydrothermal Vent Field Found in the East Pacific Ocean: Details

A huge high-temperature off-axis hydrothermal vent field has been discovered in the depths of the Pacific Ocean. According to researchers at Lehigh University, the YBW-Sentry vent field is located at a depth of 2,550 metres and is nearly as big as a football field and two times the size of the nearest active hydrothermal vents in the region. It could help scientists understand the impact of these vents on the life and chemistry of the Earth’s oceans. 

While these deep-sea hydrothermal vents are found around the world, they have been often spotted in volcanically active locations along the crest of the global mid-ocean ridge system. In such vents, the heat in Earth’s mantle splits the tectonic plates that make up the crust or the outer shell of Earth. When the plates split, new seafloor rock is formed due to magmatic activity and volcanic eruptions. The activity results in cracks which allow the seawater to percolate in the crustal rocks. Similar to the hot springs, which are seen on land, deep-sea vents release mineral-rich liquid after it gets heated beneath the sea floor.

The new vent field, YBW-Sentry, was spotted in the area in the Pacific Ocean known as the East Pacific Rise. The vent field site is nearly as big as a football field and two times the size of the nearest active hydrothermal vents in the region.