Upwelling and Hydrothermal Vents What is upwelling a
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Upwelling and Hydrothermal Vents
What is upwelling? �a process in which currents bring deep, cold water to the surface of the ocean �is a result of winds and the rotation of the Earth. �The Earth rotates on its axis from west to east �Winds tend to veer right in the northern hemisphere and left in the southern hemisphere. �This is known as the Coriolis effect �It’s largely responsible for upwelling in coastal regions.
What are the effects of upwelling? �Deep water brought to the surface is often rich in nutrients � coastal upwelling supports the growth of seaweed and plankton, which provides food for fish, marine mammals, and birds. �Upwelling generates some of the world’s most fertile ecosystems. �In coastal regions the cold water welling up to the surface cools the air �promotes the development of sea fog.
What are hydrothermal vents? �crack along a rift or ridge in the deep ocean floor that spews out water heated to high temperatures by the magma under the earth's crust �The hot, mineral-rich waters then exit the oceanic crust and mix with the cool seawater above. �As the vent minerals cool and solidify into mineral deposits, they form different types of hydrothermal vent structures.
What lives near hydrothermal vents? �The base of the food chain in the deep ocean is bacteria. �There animals that have the bacteria live inside them to provide them with food. These include tube worms, clams, and mussels �There are scavengers, including shrimp, crabs, and anemones that feed on the bacteria and other zooplankton that live at the vent �Lastly, there are predators including octopi, fish, and squid that feed on other vent creatures.
How do organisms of the deep ocean get their energy? �These vents are found below 1000 m. �Photosynthesis can only happen until 100 m underwater �The bacteria here use the hydrogen sulfide in the water and turn it into energy to survive. �Organisms feed on this bacteria (it is the producer in the food chains of the deep ocean!) �Making energy through chemical reactions instead of the sun is called chemosynthesis.
