Re: 2nd Law of Thermodynamics

[Jonathon Woolf <jwoolf@erinet.com>]

Martin Jehle wrote:

> These bacteria, tube worms etc. on the ocean bottom are powered by heat from 
> the earth ?
> Great, but please tell me, how exactly does this work ? 

The deep-sea vent ecosystems are a recent discovery, and biologists are
still figuring out the details about how they work.  The basics are
pretty clear, though.  Each such ecosystem forms around a volcanic
mineral-water spring in the ocean floor.  The springs eject mineral-rich
water at extremely high temperature.  Thermophilic bacteria take in
sulfur and other minerals, and use them to grow through a process called
chemosynthesis -- chemical synthesis of food-energy.  Then those
bacteria become the base of the local food chain.    

-- JSW