Let the heaven and earth praise him, the seas, and every thing that moveth therein.
Psalm 69:34
"Deep in the Gulf of California, scientists have discovered a
fantastical expanse of hydrothermal vents, full of crystallized gases, glimmering pools of piping-hot fluids and rainbow-hued life-forms.
Nearly 6,000 feet (1,800 m) below the surface, they saw the vents that were carpeted with microbes, marine worms and species they didn't recognize.
"It was a shock, to put it mildly," Joye told Live Science. "I think my jaw literally hit the floor."
The team had discovered a hydrothermal vent site that hadn't existed in 2008. Most likely, Joye said, new vents have opened since then, or the rate of hydrothermal fluid flow has increased. The dissolved minerals and metals in the fluid react with seawater to create huge "pagodas," some as thick as 49 feet (15 m) in diameter and many rising 33 feet (10 m) above the seafloor.
Among the other surprises at the site were bizarre methane hydrates — natural gas bubbles trapped in a crystalline framework of ice. The methane hydrates at these vents, though, looked strangely irregular, with almost a melted appearance, Joye said.
The ocean water is just 35.6 degrees Fahrenheit, while the hydrothermal fluids are a toasty 690.8 F.
The towers are home to rainbow-colored mats of microbes, Joye said, ranging from pink to orange to white to yellow to purple.
"I've never seen a purple microbial mat, ever, anywhere," Joye said. The researchers are now using genetic sequencing to study the microbes and to learn whether temperature, water chemistry or some other factor determines their color.
The researchers are also delving deeper into the composition of the hydrothermal fluid, which they've already found to be rich in manganese and iron. Finally, Joye said, the team's virologist is studying the viruses that infect the microbes at the site."
LiveScience
Psalm 69:34
"Deep in the Gulf of California, scientists have discovered a
Nearly 6,000 feet (1,800 m) below the surface, they saw the vents that were carpeted with microbes, marine worms and species they didn't recognize.
"It was a shock, to put it mildly," Joye told Live Science. "I think my jaw literally hit the floor."
The team had discovered a hydrothermal vent site that hadn't existed in 2008. Most likely, Joye said, new vents have opened since then, or the rate of hydrothermal fluid flow has increased. The dissolved minerals and metals in the fluid react with seawater to create huge "pagodas," some as thick as 49 feet (15 m) in diameter and many rising 33 feet (10 m) above the seafloor.
Among the other surprises at the site were bizarre methane hydrates — natural gas bubbles trapped in a crystalline framework of ice. The methane hydrates at these vents, though, looked strangely irregular, with almost a melted appearance, Joye said.
The ocean water is just 35.6 degrees Fahrenheit, while the hydrothermal fluids are a toasty 690.8 F.
The towers are home to rainbow-colored mats of microbes, Joye said, ranging from pink to orange to white to yellow to purple.
"I've never seen a purple microbial mat, ever, anywhere," Joye said. The researchers are now using genetic sequencing to study the microbes and to learn whether temperature, water chemistry or some other factor determines their color.
The researchers are also delving deeper into the composition of the hydrothermal fluid, which they've already found to be rich in manganese and iron. Finally, Joye said, the team's virologist is studying the viruses that infect the microbes at the site."
LiveScience