Lost City of Hydrothermal Fields -- Thriving Vent Life

[smfadmin (OP)]

https://acrobat.adobe.com/id/urn:aaid:sc:AP:4d522e4a-632c-4e42-abf6-778306348bf4

[ChatGPT drawings of the real Lost City]

There's a *real* highly detailed close-up of the Lost City Hydrothermal Field, showing the intricate textures of the towering carbonate chimneys, shimmering hydrothermal vents, and deep-sea life thriving around them ...

The Lost City Hydrothermal Field (LCHF) is one of the most fascinating deep-sea environments on Earth and a strong candidate for where life may have originated. Unlike typical hydrothermal vents, which are fueled by volcanic activity, Lost City is driven by chemical reactions between seawater and rocks—a process called serpentinization.

🔹 What is the Lost City Hydrothermal Field?

• Location: Mid-Atlantic Ridge, about 20 km west of the Atlantis Massif.

• Depth: 800–900 meters (2,600–3,000 feet).

• Discovered: 2000 by the research vessel Atlantis.

• Unique Feature: Produces alkaline (basic) fluids with pH 9–11 (similar to ammonia) instead of acidic black smoker vents.

🔹 How Does Lost City Work?

🐍 Serpentinization: The Key Reaction

• Seawater reacts with ultramafic rocks (rich in olivine and peridotite).

This reaction produces:
• Hydrogen gas (H₂)
• Methane (CH₄)
• Alkaline fluids

Unlike volcanic hydrothermal vents, Lost City is not powered by magma but by Earth’s natural geochemistry.

Massive Chimneys and Towers

The Lost City has carbonate towers that are up to 60 meters (200 feet) tall, formed by the precipitation of calcium carbonate from the alkaline fluids with the largest chimney is called "Poseidon", towering over the rest.

Hydrogen & Methane: Fuels for Life

The fluids contain hydrogen and methane, two molecules critical for prebiotic chemistry.

These gases are believed to have provided the building blocks for early life on Earth billions of years ago.

🔹 Why is Lost City Important for the Origin of Life?

The high pH and warm temperatures (40–90°C) create an environment where organic molecules can form.

Unlike black smokers (which are short-lived), Lost City vents have been active for at least 120,000 years, possibly millions of years.

The alkaline waters create natural proton gradients, similar to the process cells use to generate ATP (energy).

This mimics the conditions inside primitive cells, making it one of the most likely places life could have started.

🔹 Could Life Exist on Other Planets Like This?

YES, but not as we know it! Lost City is one of the best analogs for extraterrestrial hydrothermal systems:

Europa (Moon of Jupiter)

• Its subsurface ocean likely contains hydrothermal activity on the seafloor.

• If Lost City-like vents exist on Europa, life could thrive there.

Enceladus (Moon of Saturn)

• Geysers of water rich in hydrogen and methane have been detected erupting from its south pole.

• This suggests serpentinization may be occurring, just like at Lost City.

Mars and its undersea Sulphurous vents (Ancient Ocean Hypothesis)

• Evidence suggests Mars once had an ocean (it did) and hydrothermal activity.

• If Lost City-type vents existed, early life could have formed in them.

🔹 Key Takeaways

✔ Lost City is different from volcanic vents—it's powered by geochemistry, not magma.

✔ It produces hydrogen and methane, essential for life.

✔ The alkaline environment mimics prebiotic conditions, making it a strong candidate for the origin of life.

✔ If similar environments exist on Europa or Enceladus, life might exist beyond Earth.

Lost City proves that life doesn’t need sunlight—it just needs the right chemistry.

If life could start here, then maybe it could start anywhere the conditions are right.
 

Here's a highly detailed close-up of the Lost City Hydrothermal Field, showing the intricate textures of the towering carbonate chimneys,  shimmering hydrothermal vents, and deep-sea life thriving around them. Let me know if you need any further refinements!

Where is the thriving vent life ? lol

Here's a more detailed view of the Lost City Hydrothermal Field, now  featuring thriving deep-sea life around the vents.

You'll see tube worms, shrimp, microbial mats, and other creatures adapted to this extreme environment.

* see https://chatgpt.com/share/67d8a479-6980-800b-9fcf-dee0ca8b0db8 or https://chatgpt.com/share/67d8a479-6980-800b-9fcf-dee0ca8b0db8 and https://www.livescience.com/planet-earth/whats-the-oldest-lake-on-earth

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