About Sulfur Chimneys

Formation

• Sulfide chimneys are formed in much the same way as volcanoes are -- from the buildup of hardened, previously erupted material. They begin as hydrothermal vents, which form when cold seawater seeps into cracks in the ocean floor and is heated by the molten rock that lies below the earth’s crust. The water, which may be as hot as 700F, gushes from the vents, carrying dissolved minerals, such as sulfur, with it. As the minerals cool, they solidify into strange, towering chimneys.

Location

• The mid-ocean ridge system, the world’s longest volcano system that winds along the ocean floor, is home to the majority of hydrothermal vents and sulfide chimneys. Many of these are located at a depth of about 7,000 feet (2,100 meters).

Growth

• Sulfide chimneys grow at an incredible rate -- as much as 30 feet (9 meters) in a year and a half. The largest known chimney, nicknamed “Godzilla,” toppled in 1996 after reaching the height of 140 feet (about 42 meters).

Life Forms

• Sunlight can’t reach the bottom of the ocean, so even bacteria can’t survive at these depths. However, the black smokers are home to a type of bacteria that metabolizes sulfur. These bacteria form the bottom link of a food chain that feeds diverse life forms, such as tubeworms, crabs and even octopus.