Close to the summit of an underwater mountain west of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, a jagged landscape of towers rises from the gloom.
Their creamy carbonate walls and columns appear ghostly blue in the light of a remotely operated vehicle sent to explore.
There’s a ‘Lost City’ Deep in The Ocean, And It’s a Place Unlike Anywhere Else
For at least 120,000 years and maybe longer, the upthrusting mantle in this part of the world has reacted with seawater to puff hydrogen, methane, and other dissolved gases out into the ocean.
In the cracks and crevices of the field’s vents, hydrocarbons feed novel microbial communities even without the presence of oxygen.
Chimneys spewing gases as hot as 40 °C (104 °F) are home to an abundance of snails and crustaceans. Larger animals such as crabs, shrimp, sea urchins and eels are rare, but still present.
Despite the extreme nature of the environment, it appears to be teeming with life, and some researchers think it’s worth our attention and protection.