Navigation Links
Ocean floor geysers warm flowing sea water
Date:9/22/2008

An international team of earth scientists report movement of warmed sea water through the flat, Pacific Ocean floor off Costa Rica. The movement is greater than that off midocean volcanic ridges. The finding suggests possible marine life in a part of the ocean once considered barren.

With about 71 percent of the Earth's surface being ocean, much remains unknown about what is under the sea, its geology, and the life it supports. A new finding reported by American, Canadian and German earth scientists suggests a rather unremarkable area off the Costa Rican Pacific coast holds clues to better understand sea floor ecosystems.

Carol Stein, professor of earth and environmental sciences at the University of Illinois at Chicago, is a member of the research team that has studied the region, located between 50 and 150 miles offshore and covering an area the size of Connecticut. The sea floor, some two miles below, is marked by a collection of about 10 widely separated outcrops or mounts, rising from sediment covering crust made of extinct volcanic rock some 20-25 million years old.

Stein and her colleagues found that seawater on this cold ocean floor is flowing through cracks and crevices faster and in greater quantity than what is typically found at mid-ocean ridges formed by rising lava. Water temperatures, while not as hot as by the ridge lava outcrops, are surprisingly warm as well.

Finding so much movement in a bland area of the ocean was surprising.

"It's like finding Old Faithful in Illinois," said Stein. "When we went out to try to get a feel for how much heat was coming from the ocean floor and how much sea water might be moving through it, we found that there was much more heat than we expected at the outcrops."

The water gushing from sea floor protrusions warms as it moves through the insulated volcanic rock and picks up heat.

"It's relatively warm and may have some of the nutrients needed to supp
'/>"/>

Contact: Paul Francuch
francuch@uic.edu
312-996-3457
University of Illinois at Chicago
Source:Eurekalert

0

GOOD

Page: 1 2

Related biology news :

1. TAU scientists probe deep questions aboard EcoOceans environmental research ship
2. NASA celebrates a decade observing climate impacts on health of worlds oceans
3. CO2 emissions could violate EPA ocean-quality standards within decades
4. NASA celebrates a decade observing climate impacts on health of worlds oceans
5. Scientists, policymakers and industry leaders gather to discuss ocean iron fertilization
6. Acid oceans warning
7. Scientists gather in New Zealand to share oceans secrets
8. Unprecedented global measurement network achieves full coverage of oceans
9. Abel to receive posthumous Ocean and Coastal Leadership award
10. Human safety, prosperity depend on better ocean observing system: Scientists
11. Marine scientists warn human safety, prosperity depend on better ocean observing system
Post Your Comments:
*Name:
*Comment:
*Email:
(Date:12/14/2009)... researchers from the Astrobiology Centre (INTA-CSIC) has shown that ... the formation of the most basic biological molecules can ... to carry out this study, published in the journal ... chemical conditions of the early Earth. , "We have ... solutions it produces hydrogen cyanide, a substance that could ...
(Date:12/14/2009)... WAYNE, Pa., Dec. 14 MODA Technology ... monitoring (EM), utility and product testing for the ... MODA 3.0, the company,s third generation mobile data ... (QC) organizations to further automate their regulated manufacturing ... new capabilities: ,, Fully-Configurable Test Methods: ...
(Date:12/13/2009)... Scientists have resolved a question about how a ... works using biosensors that reveal previously hidden components ... Although delusions and hallucinations characterize the illness, people ... recall information in a particular order, difficulties that ... or function well, said Lee Schroeder, a student ...
Breaking Biology News(10 mins):Prussian blue linked to the origin of life 2MODA Announces Availability of Third Generation Mobile Data Acquisition Platform 2New biosensors reveal workings of anti-psychotic drugs in the living brain 2Ninety Percent of All Vaccine Preventable Deaths Occur in Those 65 and Older According to Highlighted Studies in the December Patient Safety Advisory 62361 1Ninety Percent of All Vaccine Preventable Deaths Occur in Those 65 and Older According to Highlighted Studies in the December Patient Safety Advisory 62361 2Ninety Percent of All Vaccine Preventable Deaths Occur in Those 65 and Older According to Highlighted Studies in the December Patient Safety Advisory 62361 3Ninety Percent of All Vaccine Preventable Deaths Occur in Those 65 and Older According to Highlighted Studies in the December Patient Safety Advisory 62361 4Ninety Percent of All Vaccine Preventable Deaths Occur in Those 65 and Older According to Highlighted Studies in the December Patient Safety Advisory 62361 5Shanghai ChemPartner Ranks 3rd among 2009 Deloitte Technology Fast 50 China Winning Companies 15027 1Shanghai ChemPartner Ranks 3rd among 2009 Deloitte Technology Fast 50 China Winning Companies 15027 2Shanghai ChemPartner Ranks 3rd among 2009 Deloitte Technology Fast 50 China Winning Companies 15027 3Neogen Acquires Gen Probes BioKits Food Safety Business 6639 1Neogen Acquires Gen Probes BioKits Food Safety Business 6639 2
... stand-in for humans in medical research, thanks to genomes ... behave differently in mouse and man, a study by ... Zhang reveals. , Their results, which have implications for ... appear in the current issue of the journal Proceedings ...
... Studying thousands of patients, Japanese researchers have found ... of three cancers esophageal, head and neck, and ... risk of developing these diseases. , In the May ... of the American Association for Cancer Research, scientists from ...
... bioMETRX, Inc. (OTC,Bulletin Board: BMRX) a leading developer ... has filed 5 new patent applications with,the United ... covered by the filings include tool storage chests, ... The,traditional products that are the subject of the ...
Other Biology News:Mouse can do without man's most treasured genes 2Mouse can do without man's most treasured genes 3Tooth loss strongly linked to risk of esophageal, head and neck, and lung cancer 2bioMETRX, Inc. Files for Several New Patents 2
(Date:12/11/2009)... CAMBRIDGE, Mass., Dec. 11 Gwathmey, ... company specializing in cancer, staph aureus, and cardiovascular ... Pre-clinical Services announced today that Rosalie Dunn, Ph.D., ... Dr. Dunn has over 28 years of experience ... Prior to joining Gwathmey, Dr. Dunn managed ...
(Date:12/10/2009)... HUNTERSVILLE, N.C., Dec. 10 Microban ... antimicrobial product protection, has partnered with Sharp ... division of Sharp Electronics, to incorporate it,s ... new printing calculators. Infused into the calculator ... protection inhibits the growth of damaging bacteria ...
(Date:12/10/2009)... Dec. 10 Newly published research, ... Stem Cell Institute (NESCI) in the journal ... of eight patients with "Limbal Stem Cell ... cells without the need of suppressing their ... ,, LSCD is a painful, blinding disease ...
(Date:12/10/2009)... Vivakor, Inc. (OTC Bulletin Board: ... into an exclusive, $5 million license agreement ... ( www.regeneca.com ). The agreement exclusively ... new cutting-edge nutraceutical formulation developed by Vivakor ... formulations by Vivakor for Regeneca. Under the ...
Breaking Biology Technology:Rosalie Dunn, Ph.D., Joins Gwathmey, Inc. as Chief Executive Officer 2Microban Signs Exclusive Agreement with Sharp Electronics to Launch Calculators with New Microban(R) 3G Silver(TM) Antimicrobial Technology 2Successful Stem Cell Therapy for Treatment of Eye Disease 2Successful Stem Cell Therapy for Treatment of Eye Disease 3Successful Stem Cell Therapy for Treatment of Eye Disease 4Vivakor Receives $5 Million Licensing and Purchase Agreement for Nutraceutical Products 2Vivakor Receives $5 Million Licensing and Purchase Agreement for Nutraceutical Products 3
... (Nasdaq:,CPHD) today announced the appointment of leading ... Fred Tenover, Ph.D., as,Senior Director of Scientific ... liaison,with the Infection Control community and will ... "The objective of the Cepheid HAI ...
... 9 Par,Pharmaceutical Companies, Inc. (NYSE: PRX ) ... 25mg meclizine HCl tablets immediately. At,this time, Par believes ... Par marketed meclizine prior to an explosion at ... has since qualified a new API source and,received the ...
... YARDLEY, Pa. and WOBURN, Mass., July 9 ... Business, Technology and,Regulatory strategies, and CBI Research Inc., ... executives in the pharmaceutical,and biotech industries, today announced ... will chair CBI,s "3rd Annual Manufacturing Execution,Systems for ...
Other Biology Technology:Noted Molecular Epidemiologist Joins Cepheid to Head Healthcare Associated Infection Consortium Program 2Noted Molecular Epidemiologist Joins Cepheid to Head Healthcare Associated Infection Consortium Program 3Par Pharmaceutical to Launch meclizine HCL Tablets 2Axendia's President to Chair 3rd Annual MES for Life Sciences Congress 2