WHOI Featured Stories January 31, 2008Lost City Pumps Life-essential Chemicals at Rates Unseen at Typical Black Smokers Source: Oceanus Magazine  July 8, 2005Settling on the Seafloor Understanding the factors that determine why larvae settle at certain seafloor vents is a key first step to figuring out the bigger picture of how seafloor life has developed across the wide expanse of the ocean and throughout time. Source: Oceanus Magazine  June 28, 2005On the Seafloor, a Parade of Roses A third generation of scientists finds the third generation of hydrothermal vent sites. Source: Oceanus Magazine  August 24, 2004Living Large in Microscopic Nooks Newly discovered deep-sea microbes rearrange thinking on the evolution of the Earth—and life on it. Source: Oceanus Magazine  April 12, 2004Is Life Thriving Deep Beneath the Seafloor? Recent discoveries hint at a potentially huge and diverse subsurface biosphere. Source: Oceanus Magazine  March 22, 2004The Evolutionary Puzzle of Seafloor Life Scientists are assembling critical pieces to reconstruct the history of life on the ocean floor. Source: Oceanus Magazine  February 13, 2004The Remarkable Diversity of Seafloor Vents Explorations reveal an increasing variety of hydrothermal vents Source: Oceanus Magazine  December 1, 1998ALISS in Wonderland Imaging ambient light at deep-sea hydrothermal vents Source: Oceanus Magazine  December 1, 1998The Cauldron Beneath the Seafloor Just over 20 years ago, scientists exploring the mid-ocean ridge system first made the spectacular discovery of black smokers—hydrothermal chimneys made of metal sulfide minerals that vigorously discharge hot, dark, particulate-laden fluids into the ocean. Source: Oceanus Magazine  December 1, 1998Deep-Sea Diaspora The LARVE Project Explores How Species Migrate from Vent to Vent Source: Oceanus Magazine  December 1, 1998How to Build a Black Smoker Chimney The formation of mineral deposits at mid-ocean ridges Source: Oceanus Magazine  The Discovery of Hydrothermal Vents: 25th AnniversaryIn 1977, scientists made a stunning discovery on the bottom of the Pacific Ocean that forever changed our understanding of planet Earth and life on it. » Visit Web site  Dive and Discover ExpeditionsThrough daily stories, photos, and videos, Dive and Discover allows you to become part of the research team on ocean science expeditions. Many Dive and Discover expeditions have explored hydrothermal vents, including Expeditions 1-4, 6, 8, and 9. Learn more by clicking on "choose an expedition" at the top of the D&D page. » Visit Web site  Dive and Discover: Hydrothermal Vent InteractiveThousands of meters below the ocean surface, chimneys spew plumes of scalding black fluid. Learn about how these black smokers form, the chemistry of the plumes, and their effects on the surrounding water. » Visit Web site  Dive and Discover: Vent Biology InteractiveThe environment around hydrothermal vents is extremely hostile. There is no light, the pressure is 250 times what we experience on earth, and the vent plumes contain toxic chemicals. However, vents host an assortment of amazing animals. Learn about the tubeworms, crabs, and other creatures that thrive around vents. » Visit Web site WHOI News Releases January 31, 2008Lost City pumps life-essential hydrocarbons into deep ocean Hydrocarbons—molecules critical to life—are routinely generated by the simple interaction of seawater with the rocks under the Lost City hydrothermal vent field in the Atlantic Ocean. The production of such building blocks of life makes Lost City-like vents strong contenders as places where life might have originated on Earth, according to research led by the University of Washington and the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution. Source: Media Relations  July 14, 2006Undersea Vehicles to Study Formation of Gold and Other Precious Metals On the Pacific Ocean Floor Scientists will explore the seafloor near Papua New Guinea in the western Pacific Ocean later this month, investigating hydrothermal vents and the formation of mineral deposits containing gold and other precious minerals with industrial value. Source: Media Relations  December 5, 2005New Technology for New Exploration of Hydrothermal Vents Advances in undersea imaging systems, the development of new vehicles and instruments, and improved seafloor mapping capabilities have enabled scientists to explore areas of the deep sea in unprecedented detail. Source: Media Relations  July 29, 2005WHOI Scientists and Engineers Explore "Lost City" in the Atlantic WHOI biologist goes to sea in a new way, using technology first envisioned more than 15 years ago. Source: Media Relations  June 4, 2002New Hydrothermal Vent Sites Found, Original Vent May Have been Covered by Volcanic Eruption Source: Media Relations  May 8, 2002Major Cruise to Galapagos Rift Marks 25th Anniversary of Deep Sea Hydrothermal Vent Discovery Source: Media Relations  May 4, 2001Colonizing The Deep Sea: WHOI Scientist Helps Find Answers to Hydrothermal Vent Puzzle Source: Media Relations  April 5, 2001Scientists Release First Images of Hydrothermal Vents Found in the Indian Ocean Source: Media Relations Related Video & Animation If a volcano erupts under water, what happens?Dr. Susan Humphris explains what hydrothermal vents are and why they're important. » iPod compatible » MP3 (audio) » View Video (Quicktime) » View Video (Media Player)  TAG MoundWhat is the TAG mound? Dr. Rob Reves-Sohn explains what the TAG mound is and what makes it unique in the world of hydrothermal vent fields. » iPod compatible » MP3 (audio) » View Video (Quicktime) » View Video (Media Player) WHOI Researchers, Labs, and Groups Daniel J. Fornari» Visit Web site  Timothy ShankBiology » Visit Web site  Susan HumphrisGeology & Geophysics » Visit Web site  Chris GermanGeology & Geophysics » Visit Web site  Margaret K. TiveyMarine Chemistry & Geochemistry » Visit Web site  Lauren MullineauxBiology » Visit Web site  Robert A. SohnGeology & Geophysics » Visit Web site  Dana YoergerApplied Ocean Physics & Engineering » Visit Web site  Sheri N. WhiteApplied Ocean Physics & Engineering » Visit Web site  S. Adam SouleGeology & Geophysics » Visit Web site  Richard CamilliApplied Ocean Physics & Engineering » Visit Web site  Jeffrey S. SeewaldMarine Chemistry & Geochemistry » Visit Web site  Stefan M. SievertBiology » Visit Web site  Craig TaylorBiology » Visit Web site  Stace E. BeaulieuBiology » Visit Web site  Breea GovenarBiology » Visit Web site  Stanley R. HartGeology & Geophysics » Visit Web site Technology March 1, 2006Frequently Asked Questions about Alvin A 3-person research submarine that takes scientists deep into the ocean, Alvin can dive as deep as 4,500 m (almost 3 miles), giving it access to some 86% of the entire ocean floor. Source: Ocean Instruments  April 19, 2006ABE—The Autonomous Benthic Explorer The pioneering deep-submergence vehicle, now 10 years old, continues to demonstrate its versatility on each new cruise. Source: Oceanus Magazine  November 23, 2005Action, Camera ... Lights Exploring the sunless seafloor can be like using a flashlight to find something in a dark basement. Now Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution scientists and engineers have built a portable light system to illuminate the depths, essentially transforming areas of the deep sea into a photography studio. Source: Oceanus Magazine  Towed Camera System "TowCam"TowCam is a specially designed digital camera system that photographs the seafloor as it is towed above the ocean bottom behind an oceanographic research vessel. Source: Ocean Instruments  June 1, 2005Sensors to Make Sense of the Sea It is difficult and expensive to go to sea, hard to reach remote oceans and depths, and impossible to stay long. Like scientists in other fields, oceanographers use sensors to project their senses into remote or harsh environments for extended time periods. But the oceans present some unique obstacles: Instruments are limited by available power, beaten by waves, corroded by salt water, and fouled by prolific marine organisms that accumulate rapidly on their surfaces. Source: Oceanus Magazine  Conductivity, Temperature, Depth (CTD) SensorsA CTD—an acronym for Conductivity, Temperature, and Depth—is the primary tool for determining essential physical properties of sea water. Source: Ocean Instruments Other Sites We RecommendResearch Programs
Last updated: September 3, 2009 | |||||||||||||
Copyright ©2007 Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, All Rights Reserved. Contact | Privacy Policy | Site Map | RSS | Support WHOI Research | Internal |
