What are hydrothermal vents? How are they formed and how its mining may revolutionize electronic industry?

Underwater geysers produce enormous deposits of many precious metals like gold, copper, silicon, zinc, nickel and other rare elements around the world. These are known as hydrothermal vents.

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These vents are produced on floor of sea where seawater penetrates through Earth’s crust and comes in contact with hot magma. Chemical reactions occur and metals and minerals percolate out of rocks and water; thus mixture is discharged back into ocean. When this hot mixture meets with cold seawater, the metals are collected on the seafloor. In this way, deposits of rare and precious metals are created.

Globally there are around 500 active vents. The hydrothermal vents were discovered in 1977 when scientists were exploring a ridge near Galapagos Islands. They were surprised to find that these vents were surrounded by large number of species which had never been seen before.

These deposits remained untapped for very long time. But when scientists realized their discovery, they decided to extract these deposits.

Japan has recently started the mining of these vent deposits out of the Pacific seafloor. It started tests with the help of small underwater mining robots; then Japan decided to start the commercial mining of these deposits. Other countries are also looking to explore these resources.

“The common knowledge of vent field distribution — that they’re typically separated by tens or hundreds of kilometers — was not telling the whole story,” says Edward Baker, an oceanographer at the University of Washington in Seattle. In reality, vents are spaced around three to 20 kilometers apart along spreading ridges, Baker and colleagues found.

The International Seabed Authority, who is responsible for seafloor mining worldwide has recently granted 25 licenses to different countries who will explore these mineral deposits on seafloor. If it becomes operational, it can bring lot of business.

But it has put marine ecosystem at stake. Each vent has unique ecosystem which includes exotic creatures like giant tubeworm and yeti crab. These creatures like to live in darkness at high pressure and thrive on vent chemicals which make the basis of their food chain. These animals don’t need sun light to get their energy. Certain type of species could completely wiped out by mining.

Hydrothermal vents create balance in marine ecosystem. These prevent major catastrophic disruptions which happen occasionally in oceans. Volcanic outbursts destroy some of the hydrothermal vents. But these vents are often very strong. They erupt after decade and discharge fluids into oceans.

The metals which are found in hydrothermal vents are used in production of smartphones and other electronics. Scientists think that due to increasing demand of electronics, large-scale seabed mining could start by 2020.

Scientists are still studying the impact of its mining and don’t understand whether its mining could completely wipe out the vent ecosystem. Therefore more research is required before starting its commercial mining.

References:
1- Wikipedia
2- https://oceanservice.noaa.gov/facts/vents.html