What is a cold seep?
Q: What is a cold seep?
A: A cold seep is an area of the ocean floor where hydrogen sulfide, methane, and other hydrocarbon-rich liquids leak out of the Earth's crust, often in the form of a brine pool.
Q: What are some of the elements that can be found in a cold seep?
A: Hydrogen sulfide, methane, and other hydrocarbon-rich liquids can be found in a cold seep.
Q: What kind of biome do cold seeps support?
A: Cold seeps support a unique biome that includes several native species.
Q: How do cold seeps affect the shape of the ocean floor?
A: Over time, cold seeps change the shape of the ocean floor, where reactions between methane and seawater create carbonate rock formations and reefs.
Q: What can change the reactions between methane and seawater in a cold seep?
A: The presence of bacteria can change the reactions between methane and seawater in a cold seep.
Q: What is the difference between a cold seep and a cold vent?
A: Cold seep and cold vent are sometimes used interchangeably to describe an area of the ocean floor where hydrogen sulfide, methane, and other hydrocarbon-rich liquids leak out of the Earth's crust.
Q: What is the importance of cold seeps?
A: Cold seeps are important because they support a unique and diverse biome, and they also have the potential to create carbonate rock formations and reefs which contribute to oceanic ecosystems.
