This discovery is outcome of Hydrothermal Exploration Programme carried out by National Centre for Polar and Ocean Research (NCPOR) and National Institute of Ocean Technology (NIOT).
- Discovered hydrothermal vent is located 4,500 metres below the surface of the Indian Ocean.
- This site holds potential for mineral exploration as part of the Deep Ocean Mission.
About Hydrothermal vents
- Hydrothermal vents are underwater springs where cold water prevailing near the seabed comes in close contact with magma in a tectonically active region.
- When this cold water trickles through cracks and fissures on the ocean crust and admixtures with magma, it getsheated up, dissolving minerals from surrounding rocks.
- It then emerges as hydrothermal plumes rich in trace metals, gases and minerals.
- These are found in the global mid-oceanic ridge system.
- These support diverse ecosystems and microbial communities, serving as the foundation of the food web in deep-sea environments.
About Deep Ocean Mission
- Approved in 2021 at an estimated cost of Rs. 4077 crore for a period of 5 years.
- Nodal Ministry: Ministry of Earth Sciences.
- Major Components:
- Development of Technologies for Deep Sea Mining, and Manned Submersible
- Development of Ocean Climate Change Advisory Services
- Technological innovations for exploration and conservation of deep-sea biodiversity
- Deep Ocean Survey and Exploration
- Energy and freshwater from the Ocean
- Advanced Marine Station for Ocean Biology
