1/ Hydrothermal vents appear from ruptures in the newly created basalt along mid-oceanic ridges. At fractures the surrounding cold water penetrates the crust and mix with red-hot basalt. This mixture emerges through three types of hot springs on the seafloor.

2/ In some cases the liquid simply emerges through a crack or crevice at temperatures ranging from a cool 5-250 degrees C.

At black smokers (270-380 degrees C) and white smokers (100-300 degrees C) the vent liquid is hotter.

3/ The vent liquid emerges forming structures from precipitated minerals that collect due to the surrounding low temperature and extreme pressure.

4/ At black smokers water causes the metal- and sulfide-rich, acidic fluid to mix with cold, basic seawater. This causes the metals to precipitate.

5/ At white smokers, the cooler temperature don’t allow metal precipitates to form, instead silica, anhydrite, and barite precipitate.

6/ At black smokers the precipitates can create 10-20m high columns (chimneys). Sometimes on the sides and tops of chimneys, beehive type formations can occur or flanges (think shelf mushrooms on a tree).