Submarine thermal springs on the Galapagos rift

Journal Article · Fri Mar 16 04:00:00 UTC 1979 · Science; (United States)

OSTI ID:5766504

Corliss, J B ^[1]; Dymond, J; Gordon, L I; Edmond, J M; von Herzen, R P; Ballard, R D; Green, K; Williams, D; Bainbridge, A; Crane, K; van Andel, T H

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1. Oregon State Univ., Corvallis

The submarine hydrothermal activity on and near the Galapagos Rift has been explored with the aid of the deep submersible Alvin. Analyses of water samples from hydrothermal vents reveal that hydrothermal activity provides significant or dominant sources and sinks for several components of seawater; studies of conductive and convective heat transfer suggest that two-thirds of the heat lost from new oceanic lithosphere at the Galapagos Rift in the first million years may be vented from thermal springs, predominantly along the axial ridge within the rift valley. The vent areas are populated by animal communities. They appear to utilize chemosynthesis by sulfur-oxidizing bacteria to derive their entire energy supply from reactions between the seawater and the rocks at high temperatures, rather than photosynthesis.

• OSTI ID: 5766504
• Journal Information: Science; (United States), Journal Name: Science; (United States) Vol. 203:4385; ISSN SCIEA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

15 GEOTHERMAL ENERGY
150200* -- Geology & Hydrology of Geothermal Systems
CHEMISTRY
DIVING OPERATIONS
EARTH CRUST
ENERGY TRANSFER
FLUIDS
GEOCHEMISTRY
GEOLOGIC STRUCTURES
GEOTHERMAL FLUIDS
GEOTHERMAL SYSTEMS
HEAT FLOW
HEAT TRANSFER
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
HYDROTHERMAL SYSTEMS
OCEANIC CRUST
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
RIFT ZONES
ROCKS
SEAWATER
THERMAL SPRINGS
UNDERWATER OPERATIONS
WATER