Thermal VentsThe Hydrothermal vent theory is the explanation for the origin of
life on earth through hydrothermal vents/ geysers at the bottom of the ocean. These vents release hot gaseous substances from the centre of the earth, at temperatures in excess of 572 degrees Fahrenheit(Crusing Chemistry, n.d, Possible Sites for the Origin of Life,). Hydrothermal Vents are geysers on the seafloor, that expel mineral rich water. These vents form where the tectonic plates that form Earth’s crust intersect, creating cracks in the ocean floor. Water then enters the cracks and is heated by the molten rock lying beneath Earth’s crust. To escape the intense heat, the water rises through another crack in the seafloor, producing vents/ chimneys that spew out chemicals(University of Delaware College of Marine Studies, n.d, Hydrothermal Vents,). |