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The Importance of Hydrothermal Vents

A long time ago, scientists thought that photosynthesis was the basis of life. Plants would use sunlight to change the carbon dioxide our bodies produced into oxygen that we could breathe. That is, of course, until they found the deep-sea hydrothermal vents and the life that was sustained around them.

Since hydrothermal vents occur in the deep mid-ranges of the oceans, nearly no light reaches the creatures that live around them. Without light, photosynthesis is impossible. How then, do these creatures survive?

Scientists in the 1970s discovered that the creatures who live at these depths survive on thermal and chemical energy instead of photosynthesis to convert C0₂ to 0₂. This discovery has broadened our understanding of the origins of life on Earth. Not only do the creatures live without life, they live in harsh toxic chemical conditions and can withstand extremely high temperatures and pressure.

Currently, there are scientists studying the organisms to aid them in the developement of enzymes capable of withstanding great heat, and culturing bacteria to aid in the breaking down of toxic waste.

Scientists are also investigating the possibility of these hydrothermal vents contributing to the beginnings of life on Earth. The oceans have been around since the beginnings of the planet, and it would only make sense that the creatures lurking down in the depths with the vents might tell us of our own humble beginnings. Of course this would be millions of years before our own evolution.

That's not the only special thing about these vents. They also deposit ores in the ocean floor. When the solutions from the vents cool, the chemical compositions change and as they rise, they deposit ore in the upper crust of the ocean.

It is estimated that one million tons of sulfide ore will be deposited per 71cm³ of solidified magma. If this is true, mining this ore would be an extremely viable option in the future, when resources on land run out.