40 Years of Hydrothermal Vent Exploration | Nautilus Live
Summary
TLDRThe video explores hydrothermal vents, focusing on their geological significance and the unique ecosystems they support. Divers and scientists marvel at the geothermal springs, which are believed to be the cradle of life on Earth. They discuss the absence of megafauna and the prevalence of bacterial life, highlighting the vents' importance to biologists, chemists, geologists, and physicists. The footage captures the VanDamme Vent System, with its diverse marine life, including white shrimp that lack pigment and eyes. The video also covers the discovery of hydrothermal vents by Bob Ballard and the extreme conditions found near these vents, such as the black smokers with their high temperatures and metal concentrations. The expedition team sets up instruments to collect data and samples tube worms, emphasizing the role of chemosynthesis in this deep-sea environment.
Takeaways
- đ Life on Earth may have originated in geothermal springs, which are considered the cradle of life.
- đ The hydrothermal vents at 77 featured a diverse ecosystem including giant clams and megafauna.
- đŠ The area discussed is primarily a bacterial-driven life system, which forms the basis for more complex life forms.
- đ§ The water temperatures vary at hydrothermal vents, with shimmering and bubbling water observed.
- đ Hydrothermal vents are found near volcanically active areas where tectonic plates are moving apart.
- đŠ White shrimp, lacking pigment and eyes, were observed, relying on light sensors for navigation.
- đ„ Hydrothermal vents can reach temperatures over 326.6 degrees Celsius, much hotter than water's boiling point.
- đż Life around the vents is based on chemosynthesis, a process where bacteria reduce hydrogen sulfide.
- đŹ The Benthic and Resistivity Sensor (BARS) will be used to collect continuous data at the hydrothermal vents.
- đ The exploration took place at the Endeavor segment of the Juan de Fuca Ridge, off the coast of Vancouver Island, Canada.
Q & A
What is the likely origin of life on Earth according to the speaker?
-The speaker suggests that life on Earth likely began in a geothermal spring.
What type of life system is present at the location described in the script?
-The location described has a bacterial-driven life system, which is considered fundamental.
What do hydrothermal vents contribute to the study of various scientific fields?
-Hydrothermal vents are of interest to biologists for the life they support, to chemists for the chemistry of the planet, to geologists, and to physicists as they help calculate the heat budget of the planet.
What is the VanDamme Vent System and where is it located?
-The VanDamme Vent System is located in the central part of the Mid-Cayman Rise.
Why are the white shrimp at the hydrothermal vents considered fascinating?
-The white shrimp are fascinating because they lack pigment and eyes, instead having light sensors that help them navigate.
What is a hydrothermal vent and where are they typically found?
-A hydrothermal vent is a fissure in the Earth's surface from which geothermally heated water emerges, typically found near volcanically active places where tectonic plates are moving apart.
Who was the first person to discover hydrothermal vents in the Galapagos?
-Bob Ballard was the first person to discover hydrothermal vents in the Galapagos.
What are black smokers and how do they relate to hydrothermal vents?
-Black smokers are formations created by hydrothermal vents, where hot, mineral-rich water is expelled into the surrounding cold water, creating a 'smoke' of suspended particles.
What is chemosynthesis and how does it relate to life around hydrothermal vents?
-Chemosynthesis is a process where certain bacteria convert hydrogen sulfide into energy, forming the base of the food chain and supporting life around hydrothermal vents in the absence of sunlight.
What is the significance of the location described as the Endeavor segment of the Juan de Fuca Ridge?
-The Endeavor segment of the Juan de Fuca Ridge is significant as it is a spreading center between the Pacific plate and the Juan de Fuca plate, and it is home to various hydrothermal vents.
What is the purpose of the Benthic and Resistivity Sensor (BARS) instrument mentioned in the script?
-The BARS instrument is set up to collect continuous data over the next year or more at the hydrothermal vent site to monitor and study the underwater environment.
Outlines
đ Geothermal Life and Hydrothermal Vents Exploration
The first paragraph discusses the theory that life on Earth may have originated in geothermal springs, highlighting the fundamental nature of these environments. It describes an expedition to a hydrothermal vent system, noting the absence of megafauna and the prevalence of bacterial life. The paragraph details the visual observations of varying water temperatures, shimmering effects, bubbling water, and organic deposits. It emphasizes the interdisciplinary appeal of these vents, attracting biologists, chemists, geologists, and physicists for their unique life forms, chemical compositions, geological formations, and contributions to understanding the planet's heat budget. The VanDamme Vent System in the Mid-Cayman Rise is introduced, followed by observations of white shrimp, which are unique for their lack of pigment and eyes, relying on light sensors for navigation. The paragraph concludes with discussions on hydrothermal vents as fissures releasing geothermally heated water, the discovery of such vents by Bob Ballard, and the biological gradients near these vents, where life thrives in close proximity to extreme conditions.
đŠ Deep-Sea Vent Ecosystems and Nautilus Dive
The second paragraph focuses on the first dive of the Nautilus in Mexican waters, with the aim to study the vent structures and the biological activity occurring at these sites. It captures the excitement and awe of the team as they explore the deep-sea environment, characterized by vertical formations and vibrant marine life. The paragraph conveys the sense of wonder and discovery as the team documents and reacts to the stunning visuals of the underwater world, including the observation of tube worms at a hydrothermal vent site called North Aquinas Black Smoker in the Gulf of California.
Mindmap
Keywords
đĄGeothermal spring
đĄHydrothermal vent
đĄMegafauna
đĄChemosynthesis
đĄBlack smokers
đĄBenthic and Resistivity Sensor (BARS)
đĄJuan de Fuca Ridge
đĄTube worms
đĄNorth Aquinas Black Smoker
đĄMutualistic relationships
đĄThermocline
Highlights
Life on Earth may have begun in geothermal springs.
Hydrothermal vents support a bacterial-driven life system.
The VanDamme Vent System is located in the central part of the Mid-Cayman Rise.
White shrimp in hydrothermal vents lack pigment and eyes, relying on light sensors.
Hydrothermal vents are fissures in the planet's surface with geothermally-heated water.
Bob Ballard was the first to discover hydrothermal vents in the Galapagos.
Black smokers form near hydrothermal vents with high temperatures and heavy metal concentrations.
Life around vents is based on chemosynthesis, reducing hydrogen sulfide.
The Endeavor segment of the Juan de Fuca Ridge is a spreading center between tectonic plates.
The Endeavor Field is the most-active segment of hydrothermal vents within the Endeavor segment.
The Benthic and Resistivity Sensor (BARS) will collect continuous data at the hydrothermal vent site.
North Aquinas Black Smoker is being characterized for different vent structures and biology.
The Nautilus' first dive in Mexico waters aims to study venting and biology at hydrothermal sites.
Hydrothermal vents are found in areas with volcanic activity where tectonic plates are moving apart.
Chemosynthetic bacteria have mutualistic relationships with many animals living near vents.
The environment around hydrothermal vents is visually thrilling but challenging for pilots.
A hydrothermal vent site with a temperature of 326.6 degrees Celsius was discovered.
Transcripts
(dark electronic music)
(magical atmospheric music)
(dark electronic music)
- [Speaker 1] I believe so.
I think most people believe that where life began
on the planet was more than likely in a geothermal spring.
So you're looking at the basis of life.
And what's interesting about this is, you know
when we found the hydrothermal events at 77
you had the giant clams
and the two BARS and you had all this megafauna.
We don't have any megafauna here.
This is almost a bacterial-driven life system.
And I think this is what you wanna study
because it's the fundamental system
on which the other things are dependent upon.
Well, we're looking at the water
coming out at varying temperatures.
You'll see the shimmering water off to the left
and then you'll see the bubbling water.
And then you're looking at the deposits, it's laid down
which is what we just sampled.
And then you're looking
at the organic growth on top of the deposits.
Biologists love it 'cause of the life it supports.
Chemists love it because it's all
about the chemistry of the planet.
Geologists like it.
Physicists like it
'cause it helps calculate the heat budget of the planet.
Hydrothermal vents, everyone loves.
(mild atmospheric music)
This is the VanDamme Vent System,
pretty much in the central part of the Mid-Cayman Rise.
(mild atmospheric music)
- [Speaker 2] That is a lot of shrimp.
- [Speaker 3] Wow.
- [Speaker 4] That's awesome.
- [Speaker 5] Right now we are looking at some white shrimp.
They're really fascinating creatures.
We actually know that they're white
because they don't have any pigment.
They actually also don't have eyes.
They have more like light sensors
that help them move around.
So really fascinating creatures.
- [Speaker 1] Look at that right there.
Hold on that.
Let that work for you for a minute.
Just hold that shot.
Continue that.
That's very cool.
That's very hot actually.
- [Speaker 6] So a hydrothermal vent is essentially
a fissure in the planet's surface
and there's geothermally-heated water coming out of it.
And they're only found near volcanically active places.
So where tectonic plates are moving apart.
And these hydrothermal vents will form these black smokers.
- [Speaker 7] Bob Ballard was actually the first person
to discover hydrothermal vents in the Galapagos.
We were just discussing earlier on in the cruise
how there's amazing gradients at these chimneys.
So within the black smoke
you might have really high temperatures
really high concentrations of a lot of those heavy metals.
But if you were to move maybe a meter away
or down the side of the chimney,
you would transition to a lot colder water
and lower concentrations really rapidly.
So that allows some of the biology
to live really really close,
but not quite inside the mouth of the chimney.
- [Speaker 8] For our viewers
just joining us online right now,
we are at the Endeavor segment of the Juan de Fuca Ridge
the spreading center in between the Pacific plate
and the Juan de Fuca plate
off the coast of Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada.
- [Speaker 9] That's pretty amazing.
- [Speaker 8] That's incredible.
We are over two kilometers
below the surface of the ocean right now
and sunlight attenuates far before that,
which means that all of this life,
just about all the life right around the vents
is actually based on chemosynthesis,
which is the reduction of hydrogen sulfide
by chemosynthetic bacteria
that have mutualistic relationships
with a lot of the animals here.
- [Speaker 10] So we are at the main Endeavor Field
which is the most-active segment
of five hydrothermal vents within the Endeavor segment.
We've been particularly careful in this environment.
It's thrilling visually to see, but you know
high blood pressure inducing
for pilots to fly in an environment like this
where there are these hot fluid smokers in all directions.
1.3 miles under water finding something
that's 326.6 degrees Celsius,
over three times the boiling temperature of water.
Absolutely incredible.
We will also be setting up an instrument at this location
the Benthic and Resistivity Sensor,
the BARS instrument
that will be here to collect continuous data
over the next year or more.
- [Speaker 11] So those of you who are just tuning-in
we were just sampling some tube worms
at a hydrothermal vent site.
We are at an area called North Aquinas Black Smoker.
We're in the Gulf of California currently,
and this is the first dive
for Nautilus in these Mexico waters.
We are looking to characterize some
of the different vent structures
looking at some of the biology
and the venting that's occurring at these sites.
- [Speaker 12] That's great.
- [Speaker 13] A great picture.
- [Speaker 14] Very vertical.
- [Speaker 15] This is gorgeous.
- [Speaker 16] That's amazing right there.
(people mumbling)
- [Speaker 17] Wow.
(person whistling)
(soothing atmospheric music)
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