It could for example contribute to a greater understanding of the origin of life on earth. Scientists for example can further study the creatures discovered around the vents for the purpose of such an understanding. Further implications relate to the cycle of heat and chemicals to the seafloor and the waters overlying it. In related disciplines, it is possible that many of the large ore bodies on land are believed to have been formed as a result of these vent systems.
This relates to a long-term interdisciplinary study funded by the U.S. National Science Foundation. In addition to studying the vent system, ecosystem, and waters around the chimney, scientists are now also able to gain information relating to how earthquakes work.
Discoveries and studies such as the one described in the article prove that, vast though the body of human knowledge is, it still only scratches the surface of what is available to still discover. This serves both a humbling and encouraging function. Scientists can be humbled by the extent of...
They are now able to study millions of years of evolution on the basis of the ocean floor structure and its vent systems. On the other hand, scientists can be encouraged for the same reasons: many new fields of discovery have been made possible both by the fact that new studies can be based upon the results, and also by the understanding that many other misconceptions may exist in other scientific fields. Furthermore, scientists can also be encouraged by the fact that many different disciplines are now involved in making the discoveries described in the article. Scientists who have never before had reasons to work together can now become teams of investigators to further knowledge and an understanding of how the world around us works.
Source
Earthquakes Under Pacific Floor Reveal Unexpected Circulatory System. ScienceDaily. Retrieved January 26, 2008, at http://www.sciencedaily.com- / releases/2008/01/080109173830.htm
