The ‘Lost City’ in the Atlantic Ocean. Credit: Instagram @causesdotcom
Deep beneath the Atlantic Ocean, scientists are doing new research on the Lost City Hydrothermal Field, a strange and ancient undersea world that may hold the answer to one of humanity’s biggest questions – how human life on Earth began.
The site lies over 2,300 feet below the surface, just south of the Azores islands and around nine miles west of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. It is the oldest known hydrothermal vent system in the ocean, estimated to be more than 120,000 years old, according to Daily Mail.
‘Lost City’ is powered by Earth’s chemistry
Unlike most deep-sea vents, which rely on volcanic activity, the Lost City is driven by a process where seawater reacts with mantle rock, releasing methane and hydrogen. These gases then feed microbial life that needs no sunlight or oxygen to survive.
Some of the site’s towering carbonate chimneys – nicknamed IMAX, Poseidon, Seeps, and Nature – reach up to 60 metres (200 feet) high, and warm alkaline fluids inside them can reach 90°C (194°F). Despite the harsh conditions, marine life like shrimp, snails, sea urchins, and eels cling to the structures.
In a recent breakthrough, scientists recovered a core sample of deep Earth mantle rock, which fuels the system. This sample allows them to observe how hydrocarbons – organic molecules essential for life – can form without oxygen or sunlight. According to Marca, this could support theories about how life emerged on early Earth – and potentially how it might evolve elsewhere in the universe.
The site acts as a natural laboratory, offering a glimpse into Earth’s earliest conditions, and has remained untouched for thousands of years due to its remote location.
Mining threats on the horizon
Despite its scientific importance, the Lost City may be under threat. In 2017, the International Seabed Authority (ISA) granted Poland a 15-year license to explore areas of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge near the Lost City. While the vent field itself doesn’t contain valuable metals, nearby sites do, making the area vulnerable to deep-sea mining.
Mining near hydrothermal vents can release toxic plumes, endangering nearby ecosystems even if the main site isn’t directly disturbed. The Convention on Biological Diversity has labelled the Lost City an Ecologically or Biologically Significant Marine Area (EBSA), though this carries no legal protection.
UNESCO is currently reviewing it for World Heritage Site status, which could offer stronger international safeguards. But scientists warn that damage to the ecosystem could be irreversible.
The Lost City is one of the few known places where life thrives without sunlight, purely from deep Earth chemistry. With industrial interests looming and legal protections still pending, should we risk disturbing such a fragile and unique ecosystem?
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