Geography

Geography

Hydrothermal vents or “black smokers”

Hydrothermal vents are found at the surface of the sea. These vents emit hot water rich in minerals that support the live of diverse living creatures. The first discovery of the hydrothermal vents of black smokers was in 1977(Hydrothermal vents, 2011). These vents are found in the Atlantic oceans and pacific oceans. They have an average depth of approximately 7000 feet in the sea floor. These vents are formed as a result of the movement of the gigantic plates in the earth’s crust along the mid-ocean ridge. As these plates move apart, they create cracks on the earth crust on the floor of the ocean. Seawater percolates in the cracks opening and is heated by the magma of heated molten rocks in the earth crust (Hydrothermal vents, 2011). The heated water rises above the earth crust and seeps into the ocean through the cracks. Black smokers is one of the hottest vents. This emits sulfide and iron, which combines to form iron monosulfide, which makes the smoker to be black. Despite this harsh environment, the vents are homes of several organisms. Some of the inhabitants of these vents include huge clams and tubeworms. These are often found in the Pacific Ocean vents while eyeless shrimp are mostly found in the Atlantic Ocean.

Formation of rings and there differences

Eddies or turbulent are produced by Gulf Streams and help in circulation of heat to the earth. Rings are the most energetic and largest eddies in the ocean. These rings are in the form of mesoscale day and are usually formed as a result of break up of Gulf Stream through a meander which results to an independent systems that circulate water. During the formation of the ring, warm water in the southern part of the Gulf Stream is moved to the north (Classic CZCS, 2007). It is only through the formation of rings that water in the north (rich in nutrients) can be moved to the south of the Gulf Stream. Hence, through ring formation, oceans are able to distribute its energy and heat. There are two kinds of rings; warm and cold core rings. Warm core rings are formed as a result of a northward bending meander in the north part of the Gulf Stream while cold core rings are formed as a result of a southward bending meander and are formed in the south part of the gulf stream (Ring Formation, 2005). Some of the differences between the warm and cold core rings are that, the warm core rings are formed in the north of the Gulf Stream while cold core rings are formed in the southern part of the Gulf Stream. Second, is that, warm core rings are formed as a result of northward bending of a meander while cold core rings are formed as a result of southward bending of a meander.

Rotation of anticyclones in clockwise and cyclones in counterclockwise in the Northern and southern hemisphere

Coriolis Effect brings about rotation of anticyclones in the clockwise direction and cyclones in the counterclockwise in the northern hemisphere. Coriolis force emerges when one force is associated with rotation of the earth and the other force is as a result of different water density due to a horizontal pressure gradient. This effect leads to rotation of cold core eddies in a clockwise or rather cyclonic while warm core eddies in counterclockwise direction. Despite, this rotation, the size and the lifetime of the rings vary from one another. The reverse is also true for the rotation of the eddies in the south.

Opinions about black smokers

Indeed, since the hydrothermal vents were invented in 1977, different issues concerning the discovery have popped out. The discovery had various implications on the unique environment and helped in understanding the functioning or the heating and cooling of the sea. Putting in consideration the fact that sea is a home of various inhabitants and its magnitude effects on the lives of human kind a lot of scrutiny needs to be done to understand the effects and the benefits of these hydrothermal vents. Sine then, many researches are being done to understand clearly the effects and benefits of these hydrothermal vents and or black smokers.

In my argument, I feel that research needs to be done to clearly understand the effects and benefits of the vents. Even though, researches conducted in the recent past have pointed out some of the important things about the vents, it is not enough to act as a basis of unnecessary exploitation of the vents. For instance, some ecologists have found out that these vents are a home to different organisms ranging from bacteria to tubeworms. The organisms may become important source of development of new drugs and in production of useful products that are suitable to human beings. Therefore, the ecosystem should not been exploited anyhow rather, it should be conserved and time provided to allow intensive research. Furthermore, the emission of black smoker during the spewing of water should be well investigated to determine the extend to which such emissions have on the other creatures living in sea. Furthermore, the viability of extracting these chemicals from the sea should be weighed-the benefits to its costs to make correct decision.

The vents also are good source of income through tourism. They may act as tourist attraction hence, improving the economic status of a country. These are some of the benefits that the vents have. However, it also posses some challenges as to whether the ecosystem is able to accrue to more benefits as compared to costs. The best decision however can only be reached after sufficient research and evidence is provided to be able to tell whether the black smokers should be exploited or not.

In conclusion, it is imperative that the study on seas is heightened to be able to understand how the sea balances its heat and energy. These patterns affect humankind in many ways either directly or indirectly. Therefore, geologists should investigate further on such vents to be able to harness its benefits or help in providing a tangible solution to any negative effects of such vents. On the other hand, it is also good to understand how eddies form and how they affect the living organism in the sea. People navigating or sailing across the seas and oceans should have maps to inform them on the current flow to ensure their smooth sailing. Furthermore, being aware of where cold and warm core ring occurs helps the fishermen to locate the breeding areas of fish hence enabling them to harvest fish with ease. Therefore, in general, studies and researches on the seas are important and should be intensified to ensure that the unique environment is conserved.

References

Classic CZCS Scenes: Gulf Stream Rings. (2007). Chapter 7: Gulf Stream Rings. NASA website. Retrieved from http://disc.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/oceancolor/additional/science- focus/classic_scenes/07_classics_rings.shtml

Ring Formation. (2005). Retrieved from: http://kingfish.coastal.edu/gulfstream/p5.htm

Hydrothermal vents. (2011). University of Delaware Graduate College of Marine Studies, WHYY TV and the national science Foundation. http://www.ceoe.udel.edu/deepsea/level-2/geology/vents.html