600 m long underwater hydrothermal vent field

The newly discovered site has clusters of hydrothermal vents 10-15 m high and is home to many animal species.

Scientists have discovered clusters of hydrothermal vents as tall as four-story buildings on the seafloor. Photo: ROV SuBastian/Schmidt Ocean Institute

During a 30-day expedition at sea, scientists aboard the research vessel Falkor (too) discovered a 600-meter-long field of hydrothermal vents as tall as a four-story building near the Galápagos Islands, Ecuador, Live Science reported on December 1. The field is located on the western edge of the Los Huellos East submarine volcano, according to the Schmidt Ocean Institute.

Using two high-resolution instruments, the team mapped the newly discovered field in astonishing detail. The area is home to clusters of hydrothermal vents that rise 10-15 meters above the seafloor and spew out hot fluids. The surrounding seafloor is teeming with animals, including 15 species never before seen living in such an area. Among them are Monoplacophorans – small limpet-like mollusks that have remained virtually unchanged throughout evolution.

“These incredibly detailed maps were created using cutting-edge technology. The extent of the area they cover and the complexity of the seafloor they reveal are extraordinary,” said Jyotika Virmani, executive director of the Schmidt Ocean Institute.

During the expedition, Falkor (too) also returned to a Pacific white ray ( Bathyraja spinosissima ) nursery in a hydrothermal vent field discovered near the Galápagos in 2018. This is one of only two confirmed locations on Earth where the species is incubating eggs. The other, discovered in July 2023 off the coast of Canada, is estimated to contain up to a million rays.

The team also revisited the first hydrothermal vent field discovered on Earth and mapped in 1977, the Rose Garden, located along the Galápagos Rift. The Falkor (too) team mapped Rose Garden to a resolution of 3 centimeters. They also created sonar images (technology that converts sound into a visual image) to help understand how hydrothermal activity changes over time.

Thu Thao (According to Live Science )

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