Massive Ocean Eddies Stir Up Life around Deep-Sea Vents
Monday, May 23, 2011 - 18:00
in Earth & Climate
Giant swirling masses of seawater known as mesoscale eddies roam the world's oceans. Whipped up by surface winds and girded by the Coriolis effect (produced by Earth's rotation), eddies may grow to several hundred kilometers in diameter and are known to transport heat, chemicals and biology throughout the oceans' shallower depths. A new study published April 29 in Science suggests that eddies may have a deeper reach than previously thought, helping to shape some of the most remote ecosystems on Earth--deep-sea hydrothermal vents. [More]