Bruce Murray Space Image Library

Calcium carbonate spire in the Lost City hydrothermal field

Calcium carbonate spire in the Lost City hydrothermal field
Calcium carbonate spire in the Lost City hydrothermal field At the Lost City hydrothermal field in the Atlantic Ocean, the reaction between seawater and oceanic crust produces calcium carbonate spires up to 60 meters tall. Today, these alkaline vents host diverse biological communities, but roughly 4 billion years ago, they may have been the location for the emergence of life itself. IFE / URI-IAO / UW / Lost City Science Party / NOAA / OAR / OER