This is a small, ice-cream-cone-shaped chimney located near the base of Five Towers, which shows the affects of hydrothermal fluid boiling on the sea floor. In the first photo (left) you can clearly see a white bubble coming out near the top (left-hand side) of the chimney. This is the gas phase. The shimmer in the background is hot water (~220ºC) escaping from the same chimney. This is the liquid phase. The next two photographs show the initial bubble forming a train of smaller bubbles as they pour into the ocean. This is rarely seen in submarine hydrothermal systems!
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Submarine Ring of Fire 2004: April 6 Log
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