Summary The 1977 discovery of hydrothermal vent s and the spectacular communities living on them was one of the most significant scientific events of the century. Vents are most often found along the mid-ocean ridge and rift system that extends through the oceans at sea floor spreading centers. Vents form when volcanic activity adds new material to diverging plates and sea water gets into cracks in the plates. The water becomes superheated and loaded with dissolved minerals and metals. It returns to the ocean floor as jets of hydrothermal fluid and cools in contact with cold sea water.
Metals precipitate , creating chimneys of ore deposits.
These may prove to be of great value in the future if an economically efficient way to mine them can be found. Chemosynthetic bacteria use sulfur compounds in vent water to produce food for communities of unusual animals, many of which are new species found only around vents. Some of these organisms produce enzymes and carcinogens that could be used to further our understanding of biological processes and improve human health . You can also get a detailed explanation of which questions you answered incorrectly. If you liked this lesson, be sure to visit the other lessons in the series .