Dive & Discover: Hydrothermal Vents Virtual Expedition

EXPLORE THE ABYSS!!!

In 1979, scientists in Alvin dove to the Mid-Ocean Ridge in the eastern Pacific. A spectacular
sight greeted them. Clouds of what looked like black smoke were billowing from tall chimneys
on the ocean floor.

Explore vent basics, vents around the world, vent chemistry, boiling points, videos, and test
what you've learned with a quiz!

Go to https://divediscover.whoi.edu/hydrothermal-vents/

1. Click on Vent Basics and answer the following questions:

a. What are hydrothermal vents and where do they form?

ANS: Hydrothermal vents are openings on the seafloor where hydrothermal fluid escapes into
the ocean.

b. What is a black smoker?

ANS: A black smoker is a hydrothermal vent which releases fluid that is so hot that it is able to
melt metals in the earth’s crust. When this metal infused hydrothermal fluid rises and meets
with sea water, it combines with sulfur in the water, causing black particles to form. Thus, the
fluid turns black and looks like black smoke.

c. What is a white smoker?

ANS: A white smoker is less hot than a black smoker, and the fluids that escape are not hot
enough to melt metals. Due to the different physical makeup of the white smoker hydrothermal
fluid, the fluid does not turn black when it meets with seawater.

d. Summarize the 4 steps of hydrothermal venting by clicking on the red numbers in the
diagram.
ANS: 1) Sea water sinks below the sea floor 2) The sea water sinks so deep that energy from
the molten rock below the earth’s surface heats the water to 350°-400°C. The water is now so
hot that it reacts with the rock around it. The water becomes acidic, loses all oxygen, picks up
dissolved metals such as iron, as well as picking up hydrogen sulfide, hydrogen, carbon
dioxide, and methane 3) The hot hydrothermal fluid rises through the earth’s crust due to its
heat, carrying the dissolved metals and hydrogen sulfide with it 4) The hydrothermal fluid exits
through the chimney of the vent and mixes with seawater. Depending on factors such as heat
and timing of the mix with seawater, the escaping fluids will turn either black or white
2. Click on Vent Boiling points and answer the following questions:

a. What is the boiling point of water at 1000 meters deep? (Click on the red question mark)
ANS: 310°C

b. What is the boiling point of water at 6000 meters deep?

ANS: 480°C

c. Why does the boiling point of water change as you go down deeper in the ocean?
ANS: Pressure increases as you go deeper, and the more pressure that is present means that
more heat is required to boil or vaporize the water.

3. Click on Vent Chemistry and answer the following questions:

a. List the elements that enter the fluid rising up through Earth's crust by clicking on the red
numbers in the diagram.
ANS: Sodium, calcium, potassium, copper, zinc, iron, hydrogen sulfide, hydrogen, carbon
dioxide, and finally sulfur.

4. Click on Vents around the World and answer the following questions:

a. What drives hydrothermal vents?

ANS: The heat of molten rock deep below the ocean’s floor

b. Where have most vents been discovered by scientists?

ANS: Mid-ocean ridges

c. At what type of plate boundary are most vents located?

ANS: Divergent boundaries, which produce ridges

d. At what depth do you find hydrothermal vents?

ANS: About 7,000 feet

5. Click on Vent Life and answer the following questions:

a. List the types of organisms that are found at hydrothermal vents

ANS: Octopi, tubeworms, zoarcid fish, clams, dandelion, shrimp, microbes, crabs, mussels
b. Click on the Microbes link on the image. What do these organisms eat?
ANS: Microbes eat sugar that they create through chemosynthesis which uses the energy
from chemicals in the hydrothermal fluids at vents.

c. Click on the heterotroph creatures links (tubeworms, crabs, shrimp, zoarcid fish) and describe
an adaptation each organism uses to survive in the hydrothermal vent ecosystem:
- tubeworms adaptation
ANS: Live inside hard shells that protect them from the chemicals from the vents

- crabs adaptation
ANS: Can eat the bacteria as well as dead animals that are found near vents
- shrimp adaptation
ANS: Utilize bacteria that help them gain nourishment from hydrothermal vents
- zoarcid fish adaptation
ANS: Eat the tubeworms and shrimp found around vents

6. Click on Chemosynthesis and answer the following questions

a. Click on each numbered step for Chemosynthesis on the image. Summarize the steps.
ANS: 1) Fluid containing hydrogen sulfide flows up from the seafloor. 2) Microbes from around
the vents take in the hydrogen sulfide, as well as carbon dioxide and oxygen 3) The microbes
convert hydrogen sulfide into sulfur for energy, and use sources of carbon as food 4) The
microbes release waste products such as water

7. Click on Quizzes and take each one of them!

a. What was your score?

ANS: 6/7 and 5/6