Seafloor Hydrothermal Systems: Physical, Chemical, Biological, and Geological Interactions (Geophysical Monograph Series)

Published by the American Geophysical Union as part of the Geophysical Monograph Series, Volume 91.

Hydrothennal circulation at mid-ocean ridges is one of the fundamental processes controlling the transfer of energy and matter from the interior of the Earth to the lithosphere, hydrosphere, and biosphere. Hydrothermal interactions influence the composition of the oceanic crust and the chemistry of the oceans. In addition, hydrothennal vent fields support diverse and unique biological communities by means of microbial populations that link the transfer of the chemical energy of dissolved chemical species to the production of organic carbon.
Traditionally, the physical, chemical, biological, and geological subsystems that constitute the hydrothennal circulation process have been studied in isolation. However, understanding the transfer and fluxes of mass and energy among these subsystems requires an integrated approach and the development of models that include interactions between them. We hope that this volume broadens the understanding of hydrothennal systems beyond individual specialties and stimulates multidisciplinary studies of the linkages among physical, chemical, biological and geological processes in mid-ocean ridge hydrothennal systems.