Hydrothermal processes are geochemical and geological phenomena driven by the circulation of heated aqueous fluids within the Earth’s crust, typically associated with magmatic intrusions, mid-ocean ridges, and sedimentary basins. These fluids, often saline and metal-bearing, interact with surrounding rocks, causing mineral dissolution, transport, and precipitation, which leads to metasomatism, alteration halos, and the formation of hydrothermal ore deposits (e.g., sulfides, quartz veins). Thermodynamic and kinetic controls, including temperature, pressure, fluid composition, and redox conditions, govern mineral stability and reaction pathways. Hydrothermal systems are key to understanding crustal heat and mass transfer, fluid–rock interaction, and elemental cycling in lithospheric environments.
Two weeks ago, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology recorded three distinct, short-lived explosions in less than five minutes at Taal Volcano. The eruption sent a column of ash and steam up to 1.2 km (0.75 ...
Earth Sciences
Jul 16, 2026
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Water flowing from hot springs near volcanoes often contains a mixture of meteoric water that has percolated underground and a deeper component known as magmatic water. Researchers at the University of Tsukuba used numerical ...
Earth Sciences
Jul 7, 2026
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The asteroid that caused the extinction of the dinosaurs also created an underground environment suited to supporting new life, and new research suggests it lasted for millions of years longer than previously suspected.
Astrobiology
Jun 9, 2026
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From a geothermal hotspot to the one-time "Lighthouse of the Pacific," the heat is on beneath the volcanic landscape of western El Salvador.
Earth Sciences
May 5, 2026
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Earth's "gold kitchen" lies deep beneath the seafloor. Island arcs, whose volcanoes form above subduction zones where one oceanic plate sinks beneath another, are often particularly rich in gold. The reasons for this have ...
Earth Sciences
Apr 1, 2026
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Meteor impacts may have helped spark life on Earth, creating hot, chemical-rich environments where the first living cells could take shape, according to research integrated by a recent Rutgers University graduate. Shea Cinquemani, ...
Astrobiology
Mar 31, 2026
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The mid-ocean ridge runs through the oceans like a suture. Where Earth's plates move apart, new oceanic crust is continuously formed. This is often accompanied by magmatism and hydrothermal activity. Seawater seeps into the ...
Earth Sciences
Jan 6, 2026
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A new study published in Scientific Reports reports the discovery of a remarkably extensive hydrothermal vent field on the shelf of Milos Island, Greece. The vents were identified during the METEOR expedition M192, where ...
Earth Sciences
Dec 1, 2025
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A new review led by the MARUM—Center for Marine Environmental Sciences at the University of Bremen—highlights how hydrothermal vents on the seafloor shape iron availability and influence the global oceanic element cycles. ...
Earth Sciences
Oct 20, 2025
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A new study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences provides scientists with a powerful new tool for monitoring and predicting tectonic activity deep beneath the seafloor at mid-ocean ridges—vast ...
Earth Sciences
Oct 14, 2025
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