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Black smokers are 350 degree centigrade underwater hot springs on mid-ocean ridge axes where ocean water seeps into the lava to cool the newly formed oceanic seafloor. Black sulfide minerals precipitate and form chimneys of mineral deposits. This hydrothermal circulation reaches the top of the magma chamber, resulting in instantaneous cooling of the basaltic lava and superheating of the fluid. The superheated fluid gives up sodium and magnesium to the crust, and extracts calcium, potassium, copper, zinc, iron, copper, silver, gold, and other precious metals. The fluid is extremely buoyant and flows at fire-hose velocities to the seafloor, where black smokers mix with cold sea-water, forcing precipitation of massive sulfide ore bodies.
The vents support chemosynthetic communities that are unique to Planet Earth, including tube worms, giant clams, and blind crabs that live on sulfur-eating bacteria. The tube worms and giant clams are bring RED and use hemoglobin to extract oxygen from the bottom water. They eat bacteria that metabolize hydrogen sulfide into sulfuric acid.
A new hypothesis for the origin of life on Planet Earth arose from the discovery of the Black Smoker chemosynthetic biological communities. The hot fluids forced proteins :into amino acid that eventually formed RNA, DNA and life on Planet Earth.