Deep below the surface of the ocean, a “lost city” rises from the depths. This so-called city is a combination of massive columns and carbonate walls, the result of hydrothermal activity within the area. It’s all part of a 700-meter-long (2,300 feet) section of seafloor that scientists call the Lost City Hydrothermal Field.
This iconic series of seafloor structures was first discovered in 2,000, and is estimated to be at least 120,000 years old. The city’s creation was fueled by the upthrusting of the Earth’s mantle in the area, where the seawater has reacted with methane, hydrogen, and other dissolved gases.
The result is a visually striking “lost city” that is unlike anything else we have seen on Earth. But there’s more to this city than just its towering, jagged peaks. Hidden deep within the crevices of the walls and columns that rise from the ocean are vast communities of microbial lifeforms that feed off the hydrocarbons in the area.
These lifeforms don’t need oxygen to survive, and the heat within the area allows for an abundance of snails and crustaceans in the area. Scientists estimate that the gases spewing from the various natural chimneys in the area can heat the water up to 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit).
Despite knowing about the “lost city” for over 25 years, researchers just recently managed to recover some of the mantle rock from the area. They announced the recovery in 2024, estimating that a 1,268-meter-long sample had been retrieved to help them learn more about how life originated on Earth.
Many believe that other locations like this might exist, hydrothermal fields rising from the bottom of the ocean. However, this is the first of its kind that researchers have discovered. Understanding the lifeforms that call it home could also give us valuable insight into our quest to find signs of life on other planets.
Some researchers believe that it could provide evidence of the ecosystems active right now on other planetary bodies like Europa or Enceladus. It could even provide more insight into how life existed on Mars in the past, before its atmosphere weakened.
This might not be an underwater road to Atlantis, but understanding more about the iconic “lost city” at the bottom of the Atlantic could tell us more about our planet’s earliest days.
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