The plates are in a continuous process of motion, creation and destruction. Hydrothermal vents and submarine volcanoes are found along active seafloor plate boundaries where new crustal material is constantly being created. Using a manned submersible, scientists first saw hydrothermal vents in 1977. Geologically spectacular, these areas also support a previously unknown life system on our planet. A system entirely fueled by energy from the Earth's interior rather than from the sun.
Hydrothermal vent waterjets range from clear to coal-black.
Their color comes from mineral elements leached out of the subsurface rocks by superheated seawater ripping through them. Smokers create chimneys as material precipitates when the plume is cooled. Vast colonies of white crabs, blind shrimp, mussels, clams, and ribbony fish populate the deep-ocean eco system. The living environment of the vents can be harsh, ranging from numbing cold to blistering hot, often only a few feet apart. Some scientists contend that it is here where life on Earth began.