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Inactive hydrothermal vents in the spotlight

Inactive hydrothermal vents in the spotlight

Hydrothermal vents that have ceased venting superheated fluid temporarily (inactive) or permanently (extinct) can harbour large deposits of polymetallic sulphides in their chimney structures, which are of growing interest to deep-sea miners.  Little is known about the animals that inhabit such structures, as the life-giving chemical soup no longer emanates from within. GOBI scientists are investigating whetherContinue Reading Inactive hydrothermal vents in the spotlight