Hydrothermal Vents: Scientists Find Carbon-Removing Properties In Deep Sea

First Posted: Nov 06, 2015 10:15 AM EST
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A study on how hydrothermal vents influence ocean carbon storage revealed that organic carbon is removed from ocean water when it is heated, according to researchers from the University of Georgia.

Hydrothermal vents are considered hotspots on the ocean floor. Scientists have always been curious about the role that they play in the ocean and how they evolved. The team of researchers from the University of Georgia was specifically interested in the vents' high temperatures and pressure effect on dissolved organic carbon, according to a news release.

Oceanic dissolved organic carbon is a carbon store that regulates the level of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.

To find the answer to their curiosity, the researchers heated water in a lab to a temperature of 380 degrees Celsius (716 degrees Fahrenheit) in a scientific pressure cooker. This experiment was similar to ocean water passing through hydrothermal vents. At the end of the process, the researchers found that dissolved organic carbon is removed from ocean water when heated.

The ocean volume circulates through hydrothermal vents about every 40 million years, according to the researchers.

"However, there may be extreme survivor molecules that persist and store carbon in the oceans for millions of years," said Aron Stubbins, researcher of the study. "Eventually, even these hardiest of survivor molecules will meet a fiery end as they circulate through vent systems."

This study was published in the journal Nature Geoscience.

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