Scientists have recently discovered an asphalt-ecosystem created by an undersea volcano beneath the Gulf of Mexico.
Researchers from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) initially thought they'd found a sunken ship at 1,900 feet beneath the Gulf of Mexico but, further investigation revealed that it was actually a natural ecosystem made by a nearby volcano. Deep Discoverer (D2), a new deepwater remotely operated vehicle, was deployed in the area to study the remarkable find.
Most people thought that volcanoes could merely be formed by molten rock. However, German researchers reported in 2004 that there are two asphalt volcanoes at a depth of 3,000 in the waters of Gulf of Mexico.
According to a press release, asphalt that makes up these volcanoes is produced in the same process used for gas and oil, and these may have been transformed by tectonic movement, along with exposure to gas and seawater. The Gulf of Mexico contains many oil reserves - some of which exists at boiling temperatures. Once the extremely hot oil evaporates, it leaves a gooey remnant, and this will become the asphalt.
This process also explains how the asphalt ecosystem came to be. For the sampling, the NOAA explorers took a massive plug from the seafloor. Once they pulled it out; the plug separated into tiny pieces and continued to float around until the pieces themselves became brittle and broke apart.
The site is a marvel to see, what with all the varied organisms calling this ecosystem their home. NOAA researchers were able to capture pictures depicting the deep sea flora, as well as other creatures such as barnacles, anemones, fish, and corals. The site can also be a good site for the bacteria that can process oil as food. These bacteria produce a sulfur-based food chain that can also be beneficial for chemosynthetic tube worms and other sulfur-dependent bacteria.
