Sixth Grade
Worksheets
Hydrothermal Vents
In 1977, a group of scientists found something surprising. They were exploring a volcanic hot vent at the bottom of the Pacific Ocean. What was so surprising was that bizarre animals lived in these bubbling hot waters (140 degrees F) at a depth that left them in total darkness.
Hydrothermal vents are volcanic structures. Some of them look a little like chimneys. Out of these gush super-hot mineral-rich fluids from inside the Earth. Some are called "black smokers." So far, about one hundred hydrothermal vents have been found. Some scientists believe these may be the oldest habitats on Earth. More than five hundred different species have been found living around these vents. New species are being discovered all the time.
