Activity
The five active chimneys of Loki's Castle are venting water as hot as 300 °C (570 °F) and sit on a vast mound of sulfide minerals which is about 825 ft (250 m) in diameter at its base, and some 300 feet (90 m) across its top. A member of the 2008 Expedition, oceanographer Marvin Lilley of the University of Washington, has speculated that this may be the largest such deposit ever seen on the sea floor. The active chimneys are mostly black in colour, but are covered with mats of white bacteria which are living on minerals and materials emitted by the vents. The older chimneys are a mottled red colour, due to the presence of deposits of oxidised iron.
Preliminary observations have shown the warm area around the Loki's Castle vents to be alive with diverse and apparently unique microorganisms and vent fauna, unlike vent communities observed elsewhere.
The vent field was given the name Loki's Castle as its shape reminded its discoverers of a fantasy castle. The reference to the ancient Norse god Loki was explained by a University of Bergen press release that said it "was an appropriate name for a field that was so difficult to locate".
Read more about this topic: Loki's Castle (hydrothermal Field)
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