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#hydrothermal

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Earlier we saw a map of hydrothermal sites around Tharsis suggested by James Dohm. The combination of warmth and water seemed promising in the search for life (or past life). Here are more of them, suggested in 2 studies in 2005 and 2007. These are not tied to a specific mission but could guide site selection. The 'crater sites' combined impact-generated heat with signs of water and included Gale and Gusev craters (crater sites A and B).

Now... back to human missions.

Continued thread

Life on Mars has always been a draw, so where should we look? 25 years ago a popular idea was hydrothermal sites. As the name suggests, they combine heat and water, so obvious candidates would be volcanic areas with evidence of water. James Dohm (then at U. Arizona) mapped two sets of them, shown on this map. 1998 sites were in Thaumasia where many channels indicate water. Sites in 2000 were more widely distributed around Tharsis. None of these have been visited yet.
#maps #mars #hydrothermal

Life recovered rapidly at site of dino-killing asteroid. A hydrothermal system may have helped
phys.org/news/2025-04-life-rec paper: nature.com/articles/s41467-025

"the crater it left behind in the #GulfOfMexico was a literal hotbed for life, enriching the overlying #ocean for at least 700,000 years... a #hydrothermal system created by the #asteroid impact may have helped marine life flourish at the impact site by generating and circulating nutrients in the crater environment."

New #hydrothermal field in the #Arctic has intense geological activity
earth.com/news/knipovich-ridge

Discovery of the first hydrothermal field along the 500-km-long Knipovich Ridge offshore #Svalbard (the Jøtul field) nature.com/articles/s41598-024

The Jøtul Field’s intense #methane concentrations suggest an intense interaction between magma and oceanic sediments.

Complex life on Earth began around 1.5 billion years earlier than previously thought, new study claims phys.org/news/2024-07-complex-

#Hydrothermal seawater eutrophication triggered local macrobiological experimentation in the 2100 Ma #Paleoproterozoic Francevillian sub-basin sciencedirect.com/science/arti

The study describes an episode of unique underwater volcanic activity following the collision of 2 continents, which created a nutrient-rich laboratory for the earliest experiments in complex #evolution.

Environmental Impacts of #Geothermal Energy

Published Mar 5, 2013
Union of Concerned Scientists

"The most widely developed type of geothermal power plant (known as #hydrothermal plants) are located near #geologic#HotSpots” where hot molten rock is close to the earth’s crust and produces hot water. In other regions enhanced geothermal systems (or hot dry rock geothermal), which involve drilling into Earth’s surface to reach deeper geothermal resources, can allow broader access to geothermal energy."

[...]

"Some geothermal plants also produce small amounts of #mercury emissions, which must be mitigated using mercury filter technology. Scrubbers can reduce air emissions, but they produce a watery #sludge composed of the captured materials, including #sulfur, #vanadium, #silica compounds, chlorides, #arsenic, mercury, #nickel, and other heavy metals. This #ToxicSludge often must be disposed of at hazardous waste sites."

[...]

"Land #subsidence, a phenomenon in which the land surface sinks, is sometimes caused by the removal of water from geothermal reservoirs. Most geothermal facilities address this risk by re-injecting wastewater back into geothermal reservoirs after the water’s heat has been captured.

"Hydrothermal plants are sited on geological “hot spots," which tend to have higher levels of #earthquake risk. There is evidence that hydrothermal plants can lead to an even greater earthquake frequency. Enhanced geothermal systems (hot dry rock) can also increase the risk of small earthquakes. In this process, water is pumped at high pressures to fracture underground hot rock reservoirs similar to technology used in natural gas hydraulic #fracturing. (See How Natural Gas Works for more information.) Earthquake risk associated with enhanced geothermal systems can be minimized by siting plants an appropriate distance away from major fault lines. When a geothermal system is sited near a heavily populated area, constant monitoring and transparent communication with local communities is also necessary."

ucsusa.org/resources/environme

Union of Concerned ScientistsEnvironmental Impacts of Geothermal EnergyThe environmental impacts of geothermal energy vary depending on the technology used to generate electricity and the type of cooling system utilized.

Hydrothermal eruption in Yellowstone National Park sends sightseers fleeing

A surprise #hydrothermal #explosion in #Yellowstone national park has sent sightseers running for safety,
after steam and dark-coloured rock and dirt shot up high into the sky.

The eruption happened around 10am local time on Tuesday
in #Biscuit #Basin, a collection of hot springs a couple miles north of the famous Old Faithful Geyser.

theguardian.com/environment/ar

The Guardian · Hydrothermal eruption in Yellowstone National Park sends sightseers fleeingBy Guardian staff reporter

#Hydrothermal eruption sends tourists running in #Yellowstone

Part of #BiscuitBasin, just north of #OldFaithful, is closed after a hydrothermal explosion Tues morning.

Hydrothermal explosions occur when hot water creates bubbles of steam, leading to underground pressure that eventually bursts through the surface. …It’s not unlike the steam that builds up inside a sealed pressure cooker.

#geology #science
washingtonpost.com/nation/2024

The Washington Post · Video: Hydrothermal eruption sends tourists running in YellowstoneBy Jiselle Lee

Investigating newly discovered #HydrothermalVents at depths of 3,000 meters off #Svalbard
phys.org/news/2024-06-newly-hy paper: nature.com/articles/s41598-024

"At depths greater than 3000m, the remote-controlled #submersible vehicle MARUM-QUEST took samples from the newly discovered #hydrothermal field... hydrothermal fluids form the basis for #chemosynthesis, which is employed by organisms in #symbiosis with #bacteria."

Giant deep-sea tubeworm #symbionts use 2 carbon fixation pathways to grow at record speeds
phys.org/news/2024-06-giant-de

Jessica Mitchell et al.: Co-expression analysis reveals distinct alliances around two carbon fixation pathways in #hydrothermal vent symbionts nature.com/articles/s41564-024

"#CarbonFixation is the process of converting #CarbonDioxide to sugars - the primary process that keeps our #biosphere running... In the #DeepSea, #Riftia's symbionts use energy from hydrogen sulfide to fix #carbon."

A Journey to the Hottest Place on Earth: #HydrothermalVents and the Resilient Pompeii Worm deepseanews.com/2024/06/a-jour

"The #worm is found on the sides of #hydrothermal vents, with its tube often reaching across the chimney to access some of the hottest fluids. The #worms can be briefly exposed to 100˚C waters, although temperatures adjacent to the worm’s tubes more often range between near freezing and 45˚C. The rear end likely experiences extreme heat while the front end experiences extreme cold"

Expedition searching for #NewSpecies in #Arctic Ocean geographical.co.uk/news/expedi

"On board the expeditions boat, the #RVKronprinsHaakon #ResearchVessel, is a multi-disciplinary team of 36 #scientists from 15 universities and institutes whose goal is to explore and chart a series of #hydrothermal vent fields, #CarbonSeeps, #seamounts and #DeepSea ridges... With only 1,100 species currently described from the #ArcticOcean, the team is hopeful of new discoveries"