Without the sun’s energy, an overwhelming majority of life would no longer be able to exist. The earth’s surface would be completely barren; neither plant nor animal would be able to withstand the brutal environment. Even the sea would be permeated with the carcasses of dead fish. However, on the ocean floor, species have evolved without any help from the sun’s energy whatsoever. These evolutionary wonders thrive in communities whose sole energy source is the hydrothermal vents found over 7,000 feet below sea level (Brooks). Hundreds of unique species exist only at these hotspots, living on the minerals spewed by the vents.
Hydrothermal vents are formed when tectonic plates move apart from one another, leaving a gap between the two. Magma then rises to the surface and heats the seawater. Were the vents at sea level, the seawater would boil immediately, but because of the immense pressure at that depth, it can reach temperatures of over 700 degrees Fahrenheit and not boil (Hydrothermal). Minerals from the earth’s crust dissolve into the hot water which then flows upwards and merges with the cooler water above. This allows the minerals to solidify once more and form deposits; some growing as tall as 15 story buildings (Brooks)! Different types of mineral deposits means different types of vents. The two most common ones are known as black smokers and white smokers. When the minerals spewed by the vents consist of sulfide and iron, they produce black smoke, hence the name. Black smokers are generally hotter than their counterpart. White smokers do not contain many sulfides or irons, so their smoke is much whiter, and they don’t become quite as large.
With a pH of as low as 2.8, it doesn’t seem plausible that anything should be abl...
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..., life has managed to adapt so that the area becomes ideal. The incredible ability of species such as the giant tube worm and the Pompeii worm is so scientifically fascinating, and gives courage that, even if we were to fall, somewhere something on this little planet would carry on.
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"Giant Tube Worm (Riftia Pachyptila)." Giant Tube Worm Videos, Photos and Facts.
WIldscreen, 2013. Web. 06 May 2014.
"A Hydrothermal Vent Forms When Seawater Meets Hot Magma." What Is
Hydrothermal Vent? National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, 11 Jan.
2013. Web. 05 May2014.
"Pompeii Worm, Alvinella Pompejana." - Miscellaneous Reference Library. Red Orbit,
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I decided to experiment with pHs within the range pH 2 to pH7, as I
Audesirk, Teresa, Gerald Audesirk, and Bruce E. Byers. Biology: Life on Earth with Physiology. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education, 2011. 268-69. Print.
Levvit, Tom. "How Deep-sea Mining Could Destroy the." The Ecologist. N.p., 28 Oct. 2010. Web. 27 Mar. 2014. .
...ledge about the history of our planet and its lifeforms calls for an approach in which the examination of countless possible alternatives plays an essential part.
Audesirk, T. (2003). Life on Earth. In (Ed.), (3rd ed., pp. 581-620). New York: Pearson Custom Publishing - Prentice Hall, Inc..
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From looking at the results I can conclude that when the pH was 3 and
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¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬The Earth is a large and mysterious planet that we are just beginning to understand. There are many cycles and forces that go hand in hand in creating different environments on Earth. In this essay we will go over the five major cycles, the Atmosphere, Sun, Water/Ocean, Wind, and Earth cycles. We will also go over how the cycles interact and work together to form one of the most bio diverse planets in our galaxy.
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