What term refers to a spring of hot, mineral- and gas-rich seawater found on ocean ridges in zones of active seafloor spreading?

• A. Ocean Basin
• B. Hydrothermal Vent
• C. Seamount
• D. Submarine Canyon

Answer: (B)

Hydrothermal vents are springs of hot, mineral- and gas-rich seawater that erupt along mid-ocean ridges where sea floors are spreading. seawater infiltrates the crust, is heated by underlying magma, dissolves minerals and gases, and then rises back through the water column, creating vent fluids that are rich in minerals and often hydrogen sulfide. These environments support unique chemosynthetic ecosystems and can form black smokers when the dissolved minerals precipitate as dark metal sulfides.

An ocean basin is a broad expanse of the ocean floor, not a vent system. A seamount is an underwater volcanic mountain, which may vent minerals but is defined by topography rather than hydrothermal flow. A submarine canyon is a deep, dendritic valley on the continental slope carved by turbidity currents, not a hydrothermal feature.