16
January 2003
Hydrothermal vents: Arctic hotspots
The Gakkel ridge under the Arctic Ocean is the slowest spreading mid-ocean ridge on Earth, so the recent AMORE survey — conducted with the ice-breakers USCGC Healy and PFS Polarstern — was not expected to reveal much submarine hydrothermal venting there. In fact, abundant venting was discovered, close to volcanic centres on the Gakkel ridge. These vents are physically isolated from the rest of the world's ocean ridges, so may be populated by previously unknown species of thermophilic organisms.
Discovery of abundant hydrothermal venting on the ultraslow-spreading
Gakkel ridge in the Arctic Ocean
H. N. EDMONDS,
P. J. MICHAEL, E. T. BAKER, D. P. CONNELLY, J. E. SNOW, C. H. LANGMUIR, H. J.
B. DICK, R. MÜHE, C. R. GERMAN & D. W. GRAHAM
Nature 421,
252–256 (2003); doi:10.1038/nature01351
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