Volcanoes of the Deep

The deep sea was long considered a barren place, devoid of sunlight and inhospitable to life. Now, scientists are witnessing how deep sea volcanoes can support oases of astounding creatures. These oases hold clues to how life might exist elsewhere in the universe, and to how life itself may have begun on Earth. At the heart of these systems lie "black smoker" chimneys, towering structures which spew acidic and scalding water heated by volcanoes beneath the ocean floor. These seemingly hostile environments are teeming with exotic life. Join NOVA on an expedition which journeys to this remote realm to first capture extraordinary imagery, and then, in an exceptional feat of deep sea engineering, lifts from the depths several of these giant chimneys and the life they harbor. The massive structures now offer scientists an unprecedented chance to reveal the secrets of deep sea volcanoes—how life can thrive in eternal darkness, and even how life itself originated.

Topic: geography/oceanography, geology/earthquakes & volcanoes