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The Discovery of Hydrothermal Vents
In 1977, researchers inside the submersible Alvin descended two and a half kilometres to the Galapagos Rift in the Pacific Ocean. Their main goal was to measure water temperatures near the boundaries of tectonic plates. Never before had marine geologists observed deep ocean volcanic activity so closely. They expected to find a completely barren and cold landscape.
Instead, as the submersible moved along the dark sea floor, the temperature sensors registered sudden spikes. The water shimmered above tall rock chimneys that released dark fluids. Not only were these vents expelling hot chemical mixtures, but they were also surrounded by dense biological communities. Giant tube worms, blind crabs, and large white clams thrived in the total darkness.
Before this expedition, most scientists believed that all complex ecosystems on Earth relied on energy from the sun. Rarely does a single observation so completely rewrite a basic biological rule.