Strange Sounds -May 2, 2020
Hundreds of Towering Hydrothermal Chimneys Belching Superheated Liquid Warmed by Magma Discovered on Seafloor off WashingtonIn the dark ocean depths off the coast of the Pacific Northwest, a magical fairyland of towering spires and hydrothermal chimneys sprout from the seafloor
These towers situated in The Endeavour Segment of the Juan de Fuca Ridge, an active volcanic area far off the coast of the Pacific Northwest, belch superheated liquid warmed by magma deep inside Earth.
The field of hydrothermal chimneys stretches along the ocean bottom on the Juan de Fuca Ridge to the northwest of coastal Washington state, in an area known as the Endeavor Segment.
Research on the Endeavor vents began in the 1980s, and scientists had previously identified 47 chimneys in five major vent fields. But recent expeditions, using an autonomous underwater vehicle operated by the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (MBARI) revealed more than 500 chimneys in a zone about 9 miles (14 kilometers) long and 1 mile (2 km) wide.
Deep-sea chimneysDeep-sea chimneys form around hydrothermal vents from a buildup of minerals that flow to the surface in heated liquid — as hot as 750 degrees Fahrenheit (400 degrees Celsius).
As hot liquid meets cold seawater, minerals precipitate and settle around the vent, collecting to form towers that can reach impressive heights.
Chimneys that climb from Endeavor are among the tallest in any mid-ocean ridge; the biggest ever documented, a top-heavy tower known affectionately as “Godzilla,†extended 150 feet (45 meters) from the seafloor, but it crumbled in 1995.
More:
https://strangesounds.org/2020/05/hydrothermal-chimney-washington-coast-endeavour-segment-magma-volcano.html
Example of a “Black smoker†found in the Endeavour vent field. Such hydrothermal chimneys belch
superheated fluids at over 300 degrees Centigrade (570 degrees Fahrenheit) into the surrounding
seawater and can grow to over 30 meters (100 feet) tall. Image: © 2002 MBARI.
