black smokers

Black smokers are underwater hydrothermal vents found on the ocean floor, mainly along mid-ocean ridges. They are created when seawater seeps into Earth's crust, gets heated by underlying magma, and then rapidly rises back to the surface, carrying dissolved minerals. When this superheated, mineral-rich water is expelled into the cold ocean, the minerals precipitate out, forming towering black chimney-like structures. These vents support unique ecosystems that rely on chemosynthesis, where bacteria derive energy from chemical reactions instead of sunlight, making them crucial for deep-sea biodiversity and mineral deposits.