What do hydrotherma vents on the ridges prove? earthquakes are real the seafloor is spreading apart the seafloor does not change volcanoes are not active underwater

## Step 1<br />Hydrothermal vents are fissures on the seafloor that release geothermally heated water. These vents are typically found near mid-ocean ridges, which are underwater mountain ranges formed by plate tectonics.<br /><br />## Step 2<br />The presence of these vents provides evidence for the theory of seafloor spreading. This theory suggests that the Earth's crust is divided into several large and small plates that float on the semi-fluid asthenosphere beneath them.<br /><br />## Step 3<br />As these plates move apart, magma rises from the mantle to fill the gap, creating new oceanic crust. This process is continuous and over time, it leads to the expansion of the ocean floor.<br /><br />## Step 4<br />Hydrothermal vents are a direct result of this seafloor spreading. They are formed when seawater seeps into the oceanic crust, gets heated by the underlying magma, and then rises back to the surface through the vents.<br /><br />## Step 5<br />The presence of these vents, therefore, provides evidence that the seafloor is spreading apart.