Posted on 08/12/2005 1:30:24 PM PDT by Red Badger
Researchers have found the world's northernmost underwater hot springs, spouting out of the seabed in the otherwise chilly waters of the Norwegian Sea. It's a veritable oasis featuring tropical-like coral and unusual plant life.
The underwater hot springs were found at a depth of 600 meters on the so-called "Mohnsryggen" north of the Arctic island of Jan Mayen, where Norway maintains a weather station and military presence. Researchers made the discovery during an international expedition this summer.
The researchers were assisted by techological equipment on board the research vessel GO Sars and the remote-controlled mini-submarine Bathysaurus.
Their eyes widened when the mini-sub glided into an underwater forest of sorts, featuring pinnacles from which streamed water as hot as 250 degrees C.
Around the pinnacles (called skorstein in Norwegian) the researchers could see rich sea life including shrimps, sea spiders, coral and eel. "It was like looking into a fantasy world," said Pedersen, who led the international expedition. The discovery can yield new knowledge about the early history of plantlife and life under water in general. "The area lies within the Norwegian economic zone, so we have found a unique new portion of Norwegian nature," Professor Rolf B Pedersen of the University of Bergen told newspaper Aftenposten.
He and his colleagues think the discovery can offer new insight into the earliest forms of life. "Life that can adapt to extreme conditions can have extreme characteristics," Pedersen said, adding that they can be valuable to such fields as medicine, pollution control and genetics.
It's not common to see coral like this thriving in the waters of the Arctic.
These two five- to 10-meter-high pinnacles were found at a depth of 600 meters. The mini-submarine Bathysaurus has been a big help to the researchers from the University of Bergen.
PHOTO: UNIVERSITY OF BERGEN
The mini-submarine Bathysaurus has been a big help to the researchers from the University of Bergen.
PHOTO: UNIVERSITY OF BERGEN
Very interesting...
wow. It is to be expected that such things would exist, but we actually found some!
Can't have that - it'll contribute to global warming - let's plug that hole quick!
I would love to be there to see it all!
Wow!
Well my question was.... if they measure ocean temps as a measurement of global warming. Then take those average temps....... what happens if one of the monitors are near a hydro-thermal?
Cool...
Cool!
True.
"Much of it has already been ruined before ever being discovered. When man is gone, the Earth will recover."
And you know this precisely "how"??? If it has been "ruined", then it will never be "discovered". Spare me the eco-freak "man is destroying the earth" bull-bleep.
Also interesting is the ramifications this has for the "time available" for evolution. No "surface water" necessary--just hot water, which could have been available FAR before standing surface water.
If these organisms are like those found around similar vents in the Pacific ocean they don't use oxygen or photosynthesis in their life cycle - they use that tasty hydrogen sulfide stuff which is poisonous to oxygen dependent organisms.
Good to see that pollution is good for SOME critters...
"After Man is gone the Earth will recover..." What dreck. People who think like this do not realize how insignificant Man is in the greater scheme of things. We could not destroy the Earth if we tried.
Dang it! Now the earth is contributing to Global Warming(TM)!
We must destroy it so as to save it!!!!!!!
How astonishing. Be sure to look at the beautiful pictures, too. But why would it be there in the Arctic? Just because it pleased the Artist.
Ping
Man will never be gone. The Earth will recover from what? In what way is the Earth damaged?
When did the current warming trend of global climate begin? Answer: 11,000 years ago, at the end of the last ice age. Are you wanting another ice age to hit the planet?
Tree in the forest. How will we know?
Visions of Jules Verne dancing in my head.
island of Jan Mayen, where Norway maintains a weather station and military presence.
So that’s where Norway put their military presence!
Where is Flipper?
Your statement: "When man is gone, the Earth will recover." sounds ignorant of the fact that Earth was made for man and there will never be a time from now on when it will not be a habitation for man. Man is not the destroyer of Earth, he is the reason the Earth exists.
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