Massive expanse of towering hydrothermal vents discovered deep in the Pacific

In the depths of the Pacific about 1.5 miles beneath the surface, scientists discovered a football field-sized expanse of towering hydrothermal vents that have not been seen before.

According to a statement from the research team leaders, the hydrothermal vents are about the same height as a three-story building. These striking structures gush black, mineral-filled water that reaches temperatures of up to 694 degrees Fahrenheit (368 degrees Celsius), although the water probably starts out at an even higher temperature. There is a chance of a volcanic eruption at the site in the near future.

The East Pacific Rise is a range of underwater volcanoes that extends from the Gulf of California to the South Pole.

The field is larger in area and hotter in origin temperature than any other field studied along the East Pacific Rise.

There are iridescent worms found off the Mexican coast.

According to the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute, the East Pacific Rise is a region where tectonic plates are spreading apart and molten rock is rushing in to fill the gaps. The movement of the magma causes volcanic eruptions and creates cracks in the crust that allow water to trickle down into the fractures and then shoot back up through the seafloor.

The "axis" of the ridge is where the magmatic activity has formed a trough that is 50 to 100 yards wide. The vent field was found east and north of the previously known vent.

"Although 750 m may not seem like a lot of distance from the axis, known vents are so tightly located in the summit trough that this discovery stands out as something very different," William and Jeffrey said.

The off- axis vents may derive their heat from a different source than the ones on the axis, according to two people who were not involved in the study. They wrote that the discovery suggests that there are more hydrothermal vents in the deep sea than previously thought and that these off-axis vents could serve as a significant source of heat and chemicals.

There is still much to be learned about deep-sea vents along the global mid-ocean ridge, both in terms of where they are located and their geological, geochemical and biological characteristics. The study will motivate future research efforts to map off- axis areas along the global mid-ocean ridge crest.

They published their findings in the journal on July 21.

It was originally published on Live Science