Hydrothermal Vents Section Flashcards
How are hydrothermal vents formed?
They are formed when seawater seeps through cracks in the ocean crust, near tectonic plate boundaries, where magma heats the water causing it to rise back up to the sea floor through vents, carrying dissolved minerals that precipitate out to form chimney-like structures as the hot fluid mixes with the colder surrounding water.
What is microbial chemosynthetic mutualism?
A symbiotic relationship between bacteria and other organisms where the bacteria provides nutrients to the host organism in exchange for a safe home.
What is chemosynthesis?
A biological process where organisms produce food by using energy created from chemical reactions. (Basically photosynthesis)
What is the chemosynthesis equation?
CO2+4H2S+O2 ~> CH2O+4S+3H2O
Why is it important that the sea floor is NOT flat?
It’s important for shaping ocean currents, supporting diverse marine life, and influencing climate patterns.
ocean currents: sea floor influences ocean current which is crucial for distributing heat and nutrients around the planet
diverse marine life: seamounts and hydrothermal vents on the sea floor create unique ecosystems with biodiversity
climate: deep ocean trenches act as a carbon sink, storing large amounts of carbon dioxide and influencing climate patterns
What is a cross section?
A graphical representation of a side view profile of the ocean floor. Cross sections are used in oceanography to show how water properties like temperature and salinity change across ocean basins.
What are spreading centers?
Underwater mountain ranges where new ocean floor is created when two tectonic plates move apart
