Special: Hydrothermal vents map
MORE TO EXPLORE
Still, much is uncertain as to how the geology of a region influences the temperature and minerals that precipitate at different vent sites. The Galapagos spreading ridge is one such example.
Read more in the Nature special on hydrothermal vents.
Galapagos
- Name: The 'smoking iguanas', tall mineral chimneys that spew out black smoke, like the one seen here on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge.
- Characteristics: A small forest of hydrothermal vent chimneys stretching up to 14 metres high.
- Importance: The Galapagos smokers are a rare example of hydrothermal vents in a geological 'hotspot', where the oceanic crust was once thought to be too thick to permit the high-temperature vents of black smokers.