What Are Hydrothermal Vents and Why Are They Important?
Hydrothermal vents on Earth are rich in minerals and host unique ecosystems that rely on chemosynthetic bacteria. These bacteria use chemical reactions, often catalyzed by minerals, to produce energy. Studying these vents provides a model for how life might exist in similar environments elsewhere in the solar system, such as on Europa or Titan, where subsurface oceans may exist.
