Heavy Metal: Exploring the Geology of Seafloor Rock Structures

Hydrothermal vents form along mid-ocean ridges- areas where divergent tectonic plates pull apart- leaving behind thin oceanic crust and deep cracks in the seafloor. As a result, water percolates down into the magma-heated Earth. The now superheated water is capable of dissolving minerals, and rises back up to the ocean floor. 

The result is a crash of mineral-rich fluids being rapidly cooled by the surrounding frigid seawater, creating the effect of giant clouds of billowing smoke. The chemicals and minerals transported from deep within the crust are deposited in the form of surreal structures. These serve as the basis of ecosystems for some of the most extreme life on the planet, attracting scientists from all over the world.