What does the ocean floor have to do with space?
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00:00This video was captured from the bottom of the ocean, just west of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge,
00:08and this is what experts colloquially refer to as the Lost City, an area featuring giant
00:13towers of carbonate, standing hundreds of feet tall.
00:16The area was first discovered more than two decades ago, 2,300 feet underwater.
00:20The Lost City hydrothermal field was formed more than 120,000 years ago, and scientists
00:26say it's absolutely unique, at least as far as we know.
00:29The pylons of mineral-rich rock were formed by gaseous vents on the ocean floor, forcing
00:33hydrogen, methane, and other gas upwards, resulting in these towering behemoths, some
00:38stretching 200 feet tall.
00:40And while the Lost City is definitely of scientific interest to marine biologists, it's also
00:44an extremely interesting research opportunity for planetologists.
00:47William Brazelton, a microbiologist, previously told the Smithsonian in an interview, quote,
00:52This is an example of a type of ecosystem that could be active on Enceladus or Europa
00:57right this second, and maybe even Mars in the past.
01:00Those moons are believed to have liquid oceans and likely rocky, molten cores, meaning the
01:04conditions found in the Lost City, where warm vents have led to creatures and other lifeforms
01:08finding a home there, could also be found out in the solar system.