Word
hydrothermal
Phoneticshy·dro·ther·mal
US/ˌhaɪdɹoʊˈθɝməɫ/
UK/hˌaɪdɹəðˈɜːməl/
Definition
adj. relating to water that is very hot and under high pressure. This usually happens deep under the Earth's surface or near volcanoes.
adj. relating to or caused by the action of hot water under high pressure, typically in the Earth's crust. Often describes the formation of mineral deposits or the activity of deep-sea vents.
Examples
“The miners found gold in a hydrothermal vein.”
“Scientists study hydrothermal vents on the ocean floor because they support unique life forms that do not rely on sunlight.”
“The formation of the ore body was facilitated by hydrothermal fluids that leached metals from the surrounding rock and deposited them as the water cooled and lost pressure.”
Examples
simple
“The miners found gold in a hydrothermal vein.”
contextual
“Scientists study hydrothermal vents on the ocean floor because they support unique life forms that do not rely on sunlight.”
complex
“The formation of the ore body was facilitated by hydrothermal fluids that leached metals from the surrounding rock and deposited them as the water cooled and lost pressure.”
Real-World Examples
“Before any cells existed, scientists suspect chemical reactions occurred around deep-sea hydrothermal vents , where heat and high pressures led to spontaneous chemistry that was sped up, or catalyzed, by metals in Earth’s crust.” “The same mechanism could help explain why hydrothermal sulfide deposits along submarine island arcs often contain unusually large amounts of gold.” “The seaweed is rich in carbohydrates that can be converted into bioethanol, biogas, bio-oil, or hydrogen through processes such as fermentation, anaerobic digestion, hydrothermal liquefaction and gasification.” Etymology
From hydro- + thermal.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Domain
Scan code
englishreference.com/q/hydrothermal