Hydrothermal vent field discovered deep in the Arctic

Hydrothermal vent field discovered deep in the Arctic


Deep in the Arctic Ocean, off the coast of Norway, researchers have discovered hydrothermal vents. They create “bubbles” of hot water in the frigid sea

Deep inside Arctic Ocean Ice SheetAt 3,000 meters deep, an international research team has discovered a field of hydrothermal vents. It is as if in this very cold and inhospitable region of the sea there exists a bubble of warm water, capable of supporting little-known forms of life.



The “warm bubble” in the Arctic is located along an underwater mountain range off the coast of Svalbard, Norway. And the hydrothermal circulation (i.e. the circulation of warm water) is caused by volcanic activity on site.

Published in the magazine Scientific reportsThe study that discovered this hydrothermal vent field nicknamed the region Jøtul Field after the giants from Norse mythology who live beneath the mountains.

Hydrothermal vents in the Arctic

Initially, “the water [do oceano] penetrates to the ocean floor, where it is heated by magma,” explains Gerhard Bohrmann, marine geologist and professor at the University of Bremen (Germany), in a note.

Then “the superheated water returns to the seabed through cracks and fissures. On its way up, the fluid is enriched with minerals and dissolved materials from the rocks of the ocean crust,” adds scientist Bohrmann.

It is possible to observe on the seabed some indicators of hydrothermal activity, such as precipitates of barite (a white mineral present in some rocks) or dolomite (a mineral that is also white in color), whitish bacterial filaments and the presence of some tubeworms. The levels of methane in these waters are also higher.

Furthermore, hot water normally “escapes” from the seabed through tubular chimneys, as can be seen at hydrothermal vent sites in the Arctic:




Expedition finds hydrothermal vent field deep in Arctic Ocean, near Norway (Image: Bohrmann et al, 2024/Scientific Reports)

Analyzing the Jøtul field, researchers found that the volcanic activity is due to very slow separation of two tectonic platesthe North American plate and the European plate. Each year they move away from each other by less than 2 centimeters.

Habitat for mysterious life forms

Hydrothermal vent sites are very deep and, because of this, receive almost no sunlight. So the rare and little-known life forms in these habitats have evolved to survive in unusual ways.

They exchange sunlight for minerals that leak out of the seeps. Therefore, they are known for their dependence on the process of chemosynthesis, that is, their dependence on chemical reactions for energy, instead of photosynthesis. The entire process that allows life takes place in symbiosis with bacteria.

Deep in the Pacific Ocean, near Chile, another expedition with no connection to the Norwegian research has discovered it The sea pig depends on these infiltrations to survive in a region without light..

New shipments to Norway

In this first expedition carried out in 2022 and culminating in the recently published study, the team led by geologist Bohrmann managed to identify the hydrothermal field, but discovered little about the dynamics of the region.

So, a new trip is planned for September of this year. The expectation is to collect more samples to understand the impacts of these warming waters in the Arctic.

Source: Scientific reports, University of Bremen

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