Sediments scraped from subducting plates form large accretionary wedges attached to the continental landmass. Fluids moving within these sediments transport chemical compounds that assist in sediment diagenesis, hydrocarbon concentration and clathrate formation. Extensive fields of hot water vents support lush communities on and within the ocean crust and also influence the physics, chemistry and productivity of the overlying water column. Changes in the productivity of the water column in the deep ocean may extend tens to hundreds of kilometres away from the vent sites. Hot vent microbes have altered our understanding of the early evolution of life on Earth and how life can flourish in extreme environments.
Some vent systems change relatively quickly.
The Juan de Fuca system includes at least one active volcano, Axial Seamount, which appears to erupt every few years. The Juan de Fuca plate exhibits a range of sea floor characteristics, from rock near the ridge to deep sediment near the continental margin. Oceanography, Ocean Climate, and Fisheries Science Eastern boundary upwelling regions are among the most productive parts of the ocean. Many of the processes responsible for this productivity are present in the area over the Juan de Fuca plate. This region plays an important role in the dynamics of several important fish stocks, including Pacific salmon.