CKLA Geology Unit 5, Chapter 9 L13.2 Underwater Vents

Where do scientists usually find hydrothermal vents? (see page 85)

• in the middle of the ocean

• near underwater ridges

• in shallow sections of the ocean near the shore

• where kelp and other ocean plants are growing

How are hydrothermal vents NOT like the geysers in Yellowstone National Park?

(see page 85)

• They squirt up in the air above the surface of the water

• They are much, much hotter than anything surrounding them

• they form when water sinks down through cracks in Earth's crust

• They are heated by magma lying below the Earth's crust

Select two clues that would tell you that you're near a hydrothermal vent.

See pages 85-86 in your reader

• black smokelike water is gushing out of a place in the ridge

• no living thing exists in the area surrounding a hydrothermal vent

• a plume or cloud of mineral particles is drifting in the water

• the water near a hydrothermal vent is red and orange in color.

How could you get close enough to observe a hydrothermal vent?

See page 86

• put on scuba gear and dive down into the water to investigate

• send a submarine down where divers can get out and observe

• send a robot vehicle down to the vent where it can take pictures and send them to scientists

• attach a camera to a trained dolphin who will swim down and get pictures

Which of the following would you NOT see near a hydrothermal vent?

see page 86

• ghostly white crabs

• football sized clams

• pale blind shrimp

• red-topped giant tube worms

• bright neon green star fish

What are 2 reasons scientists would want to research hydrothermal vents?

(see page 86)

• to get warm water in the deepest part of the ocean

• to study the unique water creatures that live there

• to find ways to use hydrothermal vents to heat submarines

• to understand the earth's crust and other layers better