The deep oceans and global seafloor are truly Earth’s last frontier. They remain largely unexplored, yet are critical to our survival on this planet. This magnificent volume transports you to volcanoes, boiling hot springs, and fault zones in mountains a mile beneath the ocean surface, where bizarre landscapes host exotic life forms that rival the most imaginative science fiction. Illustrated throughout with spectacular color photographs, the book starts with a historical summary of seafloor exploration and the developing technologies used to study this extreme environment. It then presents a series of chapters that describe the distinctive geological components of the Earth’s ocean floor and the myriad environments found along mid-ocean ridges where new crust is created. It is here that discoveries of chemosynthetic biological communities revolutionized our ideas about the origins of life and the potential for life’s existence elsewhere in the Universe. The authors provide elegant explanations of how the various geological and hydrothermal features of the seafloor are formed through physical, chemical, and biological processes, and present comparative examples from places where the seafloor is exposed on land. Discovering the Deep is an indispensable reference for researchers, teachers, and students of marine science, and a visually stunning resource that will enlighten and intrigue oceanographers and enthusiasts alike. A suite of online resources, including photographs and video clips, combine with the book to provide fascinating insights into the hidden world of seafloor geology and biology using the latest deep-sea imaging and geological concepts.

Chapter 1 Entering the Abyss – Oceanographic Technology
Chapter 2 Earth Beneath the Sea
Chapter 3 Diversity in Seafloor Spreading
Chapter 4 Hydrothermal Vents
Chapter 5 Submarine Volcanism – Fire Beneath the Sea
Chapter 6 Dike Intrusion and Sheeted Dike Complexes
Chapter 7 Gabbroic Rocks- Clues to Magmatic Processes
Chapter 8 Windows into Mantle Processes: Peridotites
Chapter 9 Future Research