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In a single-continent world, what could cause hydrothermal vents?
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In the world I'm building, there is a single continent. However, in the deeper parts of the ocean, there are hydrothermal vents. They're pretty necessary to my story, but I can't figure out why they would be there as to my knowledge they usually need to be near cracks in the tectonic plates.
I don't know if it's worth noting, but the core of my world is very small and there is little magma to be found. The hydrothermal vents are also about 16 500 ft down instead of around 16 000 feet.
geography underwater ocean
asked 43 mins ago
AzaleaGarden
36511
add a comment |Â
up vote
1
down vote
favorite
In the world I'm building, there is a single continent. However, in the deeper parts of the ocean, there are hydrothermal vents. They're pretty necessary to my story, but I can't figure out why they would be there as to my knowledge they usually need to be near cracks in the tectonic plates.
I don't know if it's worth noting, but the core of my world is very small and there is little magma to be found. The hydrothermal vents are also about 16 500 ft down instead of around 16 000 feet.
geography underwater ocean
asked 43 mins ago
AzaleaGarden
36511
3
Not all tectonic plates carry continents. For example, on our own Earth, the Pacific plate, the Nazca plate, the Scotia plate and the Filipino plate don't carry continents. Not to mention that a continent can be assembled from continental crust residing on multiple plates; for example, Asia has pieces residing on the Eurasian, Arabian and Indian plates.
– AlexP
34 mins ago
1
"little magma to be found" - do you want your world to be tectonically inactive?
– Alexander
23 mins ago
add a comment |Â
up vote
1
down vote
favorite
up vote
1
down vote
favorite
In the world I'm building, there is a single continent. However, in the deeper parts of the ocean, there are hydrothermal vents. They're pretty necessary to my story, but I can't figure out why they would be there as to my knowledge they usually need to be near cracks in the tectonic plates.
I don't know if it's worth noting, but the core of my world is very small and there is little magma to be found. The hydrothermal vents are also about 16 500 ft down instead of around 16 000 feet.
geography underwater ocean
asked 43 mins ago
AzaleaGarden
36511
In the world I'm building, there is a single continent. However, in the deeper parts of the ocean, there are hydrothermal vents. They're pretty necessary to my story, but I can't figure out why they would be there as to my knowledge they usually need to be near cracks in the tectonic plates.
I don't know if it's worth noting, but the core of my world is very small and there is little magma to be found. The hydrothermal vents are also about 16 500 ft down instead of around 16 000 feet.
geography underwater ocean
geography underwater ocean
asked 43 mins ago
AzaleaGarden
36511
asked 43 mins ago
AzaleaGarden
36511
asked 43 mins ago
AzaleaGarden
36511
asked 43 mins ago
AzaleaGarden
36511
asked 43 mins ago
AzaleaGarden
36511
36511
3
Not all tectonic plates carry continents. For example, on our own Earth, the Pacific plate, the Nazca plate, the Scotia plate and the Filipino plate don't carry continents. Not to mention that a continent can be assembled from continental crust residing on multiple plates; for example, Asia has pieces residing on the Eurasian, Arabian and Indian plates.
– AlexP
34 mins ago
1
"little magma to be found" - do you want your world to be tectonically inactive?
– Alexander
23 mins ago
add a comment |Â
3
Not all tectonic plates carry continents. For example, on our own Earth, the Pacific plate, the Nazca plate, the Scotia plate and the Filipino plate don't carry continents. Not to mention that a continent can be assembled from continental crust residing on multiple plates; for example, Asia has pieces residing on the Eurasian, Arabian and Indian plates.
– AlexP
34 mins ago
1
"little magma to be found" - do you want your world to be tectonically inactive?
– Alexander
23 mins ago
3
3
Not all tectonic plates carry continents. For example, on our own Earth, the Pacific plate, the Nazca plate, the Scotia plate and the Filipino plate don't carry continents. Not to mention that a continent can be assembled from continental crust residing on multiple plates; for example, Asia has pieces residing on the Eurasian, Arabian and Indian plates.
– AlexP
34 mins ago
Not all tectonic plates carry continents. For example, on our own Earth, the Pacific plate, the Nazca plate, the Scotia plate and the Filipino plate don't carry continents. Not to mention that a continent can be assembled from continental crust residing on multiple plates; for example, Asia has pieces residing on the Eurasian, Arabian and Indian plates.
– AlexP
34 mins ago
1
1
"little magma to be found" - do you want your world to be tectonically inactive?
– Alexander
23 mins ago
"little magma to be found" - do you want your world to be tectonically inactive?
– Alexander
23 mins ago
add a comment |Â
2 Answers
2
active
oldest
votes
up vote
4
down vote
You can have tectonic plates on a water world, that is still "land" under there, you just have enough water to cover it all. Look at early Earth and Pangaea for an example.
In your case, any tectonic plates carrying enough land to break through water are all adjacent to each other; just like our continents were once all adjacent.
With multiple plates you can still have mountains, valleys, etc. No problems with it, just as you have it. Any tectonic plate joins under the ocean are just plates that don't carry enough land to be seen above water.
answered 35 mins ago
Amadeus
19.2k42875
An edit and an upvote! (I was going to say the same: you just beat me to it! ;-) )
– Fabby
1 min ago
add a comment |Â
up vote
2
down vote
No need for the single continent (let's hypothetically call it "Pangea" -- all earth) to have always existed, or for it to always exist in the future.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pangaea
Pangaea or Pangea ( /pænˈdʒiËÂə/) was a supercontinent that existed during the late Paleozoic and early Mesozoic eras. It assembled from earlier continental units approximately 335 million years ago, and it began to break apart about 175 million years ago.
Those hydrothermal vents are part of the undersea mid-ocean ridges which pushed the earlier continents together...
By en:User:Kieff - File:Pangaea continents.png, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=8161694
answered 35 mins ago
RonJohn
12.3k12659
1
That's funny, we both posted the same idea, one second apart.
– Amadeus
33 mins ago
1
I noticed that... :) Some ideas are just too obvious.
– RonJohn
30 mins ago
add a comment |Â
2 Answers
2
active
oldest
votes
2 Answers
2
active
oldest
votes
active
oldest
votes
active
oldest
votes
up vote
4
down vote
You can have tectonic plates on a water world, that is still "land" under there, you just have enough water to cover it all. Look at early Earth and Pangaea for an example.
In your case, any tectonic plates carrying enough land to break through water are all adjacent to each other; just like our continents were once all adjacent.
With multiple plates you can still have mountains, valleys, etc. No problems with it, just as you have it. Any tectonic plate joins under the ocean are just plates that don't carry enough land to be seen above water.
answered 35 mins ago
Amadeus
19.2k42875
An edit and an upvote! (I was going to say the same: you just beat me to it! ;-) )
– Fabby
1 min ago
add a comment |Â
up vote
4
down vote
You can have tectonic plates on a water world, that is still "land" under there, you just have enough water to cover it all. Look at early Earth and Pangaea for an example.
In your case, any tectonic plates carrying enough land to break through water are all adjacent to each other; just like our continents were once all adjacent.
With multiple plates you can still have mountains, valleys, etc. No problems with it, just as you have it. Any tectonic plate joins under the ocean are just plates that don't carry enough land to be seen above water.
answered 35 mins ago
Amadeus
19.2k42875
An edit and an upvote! (I was going to say the same: you just beat me to it! ;-) )
– Fabby
1 min ago
add a comment |Â
up vote
4
down vote
up vote
4
down vote
You can have tectonic plates on a water world, that is still "land" under there, you just have enough water to cover it all. Look at early Earth and Pangaea for an example.
In your case, any tectonic plates carrying enough land to break through water are all adjacent to each other; just like our continents were once all adjacent.
With multiple plates you can still have mountains, valleys, etc. No problems with it, just as you have it. Any tectonic plate joins under the ocean are just plates that don't carry enough land to be seen above water.
answered 35 mins ago
Amadeus
19.2k42875
You can have tectonic plates on a water world, that is still "land" under there, you just have enough water to cover it all. Look at early Earth and Pangaea for an example.
In your case, any tectonic plates carrying enough land to break through water are all adjacent to each other; just like our continents were once all adjacent.
With multiple plates you can still have mountains, valleys, etc. No problems with it, just as you have it. Any tectonic plate joins under the ocean are just plates that don't carry enough land to be seen above water.
answered 35 mins ago
Amadeus
19.2k42875
answered 35 mins ago
Amadeus
19.2k42875
answered 35 mins ago
Amadeus
19.2k42875
answered 35 mins ago
Amadeus
19.2k42875
19.2k42875
An edit and an upvote! (I was going to say the same: you just beat me to it! ;-) )
– Fabby
1 min ago
add a comment |Â
An edit and an upvote! (I was going to say the same: you just beat me to it! ;-) )
– Fabby
1 min ago
An edit and an upvote! (I was going to say the same: you just beat me to it! ;-) )
– Fabby
1 min ago
An edit and an upvote! (I was going to say the same: you just beat me to it! ;-) )
– Fabby
1 min ago
add a comment |Â
up vote
2
down vote
No need for the single continent (let's hypothetically call it "Pangea" -- all earth) to have always existed, or for it to always exist in the future.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pangaea
Pangaea or Pangea ( /pænˈdʒiËÂə/) was a supercontinent that existed during the late Paleozoic and early Mesozoic eras. It assembled from earlier continental units approximately 335 million years ago, and it began to break apart about 175 million years ago.
Those hydrothermal vents are part of the undersea mid-ocean ridges which pushed the earlier continents together...
By en:User:Kieff - File:Pangaea continents.png, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=8161694
answered 35 mins ago
RonJohn
12.3k12659
1
That's funny, we both posted the same idea, one second apart.
– Amadeus
33 mins ago
1
I noticed that... :) Some ideas are just too obvious.
– RonJohn
30 mins ago
add a comment |Â
up vote
2
down vote
No need for the single continent (let's hypothetically call it "Pangea" -- all earth) to have always existed, or for it to always exist in the future.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pangaea
Pangaea or Pangea ( /pænˈdʒiËÂə/) was a supercontinent that existed during the late Paleozoic and early Mesozoic eras. It assembled from earlier continental units approximately 335 million years ago, and it began to break apart about 175 million years ago.
Those hydrothermal vents are part of the undersea mid-ocean ridges which pushed the earlier continents together...
By en:User:Kieff - File:Pangaea continents.png, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=8161694
answered 35 mins ago
RonJohn
12.3k12659
1
That's funny, we both posted the same idea, one second apart.
– Amadeus
33 mins ago
1
I noticed that... :) Some ideas are just too obvious.
– RonJohn
30 mins ago
add a comment |Â
up vote
2
down vote
up vote
2
down vote
No need for the single continent (let's hypothetically call it "Pangea" -- all earth) to have always existed, or for it to always exist in the future.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pangaea
Pangaea or Pangea ( /pænˈdʒiËÂə/) was a supercontinent that existed during the late Paleozoic and early Mesozoic eras. It assembled from earlier continental units approximately 335 million years ago, and it began to break apart about 175 million years ago.
Those hydrothermal vents are part of the undersea mid-ocean ridges which pushed the earlier continents together...
By en:User:Kieff - File:Pangaea continents.png, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=8161694
answered 35 mins ago
RonJohn
12.3k12659
No need for the single continent (let's hypothetically call it "Pangea" -- all earth) to have always existed, or for it to always exist in the future.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pangaea
Pangaea or Pangea ( /pænˈdʒiËÂə/) was a supercontinent that existed during the late Paleozoic and early Mesozoic eras. It assembled from earlier continental units approximately 335 million years ago, and it began to break apart about 175 million years ago.
Those hydrothermal vents are part of the undersea mid-ocean ridges which pushed the earlier continents together...
By en:User:Kieff - File:Pangaea continents.png, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=8161694
answered 35 mins ago
RonJohn
12.3k12659
answered 35 mins ago
RonJohn
12.3k12659
answered 35 mins ago
RonJohn
12.3k12659
answered 35 mins ago
RonJohn
12.3k12659
12.3k12659
1
That's funny, we both posted the same idea, one second apart.
– Amadeus
33 mins ago
1
I noticed that... :) Some ideas are just too obvious.
– RonJohn
30 mins ago
add a comment |Â
1
That's funny, we both posted the same idea, one second apart.
– Amadeus
33 mins ago
1
I noticed that... :) Some ideas are just too obvious.
– RonJohn
30 mins ago
1
1
That's funny, we both posted the same idea, one second apart.
– Amadeus
33 mins ago
That's funny, we both posted the same idea, one second apart.
– Amadeus
33 mins ago
1
1
I noticed that... :) Some ideas are just too obvious.
– RonJohn
30 mins ago
I noticed that... :) Some ideas are just too obvious.
– RonJohn
30 mins ago
add a comment |Â
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3
Not all tectonic plates carry continents. For example, on our own Earth, the Pacific plate, the Nazca plate, the Scotia plate and the Filipino plate don't carry continents. Not to mention that a continent can be assembled from continental crust residing on multiple plates; for example, Asia has pieces residing on the Eurasian, Arabian and Indian plates.
– AlexP
34 mins ago
1
"little magma to be found" - do you want your world to be tectonically inactive?
– Alexander
23 mins ago