Researchers have discovered that undersea hydrothermal vent styles are more varied than previously thought.
The discovery has implications on two fronts: First, with many more styles of vent, this provides a variance of habitat, which can give a better understanding of habitability in the ocean and the solar system.
Secondly, the different styles have implications for the origin of these vents and the effect of hydrothermal activity below the sea floor. The research was conducted from two studies at the Polaris hydrothermal field on the ultraslow-spreading Gakkel Ridge in the Arctic Ocean.
According to Chris German, a senior scientist in the Department of Geology and Geophysics at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution and study co-author:
“Hydrogen-rich vents like Polaris have a lot more chemical potential energy available for life than any other kinds of vents, bang per buck. The microbial diversity you get when there is that much energy available also is really quite impressive and distinct from most ordinary hydrothermal vents. The discoveries we have made here are particularly important because they reassure us that we could go and search for life on other ocean worlds beyond Earth in a credible and meaningful way, based on what we now know.”
While Elmar Albers, a postdoctoral investigator in the Department of Geology and Geophysics at WHOI and article lead author, added:
“It is both fascinating and inspiring to study seafloor geologic processes in the Arctic Ocean, one of the least-explored places on Earth. The insights we gained from the Polaris hydrothermal system were unexpected, with major implications for hydrothermal exploration in other oceans. We are excited to learn what other surprises the Arctic holds in the future.”
You can find the original research here.