Chinese scientists have made a discovery that may change our understanding of the origin of life on Earth. They found a previously unknown hydrothermal system on the Pacific Ocean floor called “Kunlun”, reports Peopletalk.
This system is located northeast of Papua New Guinea and consists of about twenty craters. The largest of them is 1.8 km wide and 130 meters deep. Scientists called them a “tube cluster,” because a huge amount of hydrogen escapes from here, sustaining the life of the entire ecosystem.
The area of “Kunlun” is 11 square kilometers, making it larger than the famous “Lost City.” The conditions inside resemble Earth in its early stages of development. According to experts, billions of years ago such hydrogen emissions could have formed the basis for the emergence of life.
The system also serves as a home for various deep-sea creatures — shrimps, tube worms, sea anemones, and lobsters. They survive without sunlight and rely on chemical substances for food.
Interestingly, “Kunlun” does not resemble ordinary volcanic sources: here the temperature is below 90 degrees, and the system is located not on ocean ridges but in the center of a plate. Calculations show that it produces more than 5 percent of the world’s underwater hydrogen.
Scientists say that the craters formed gradually: first hydrogen accumulated underground, then erupted in explosions, leaving behind cracks and hydrothermal vents. This discovery is truly of unique importance for science.
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