'Dragon' and 'tree of life' hydrothermal vents discovered in Arctic region scientists thought was geologically dead

Scientists have discovered a never-before-seen hydrothermal vent system hiding in a highly unlikely spot on the Arctic seafloor. The deep-sea vents, which pump out scalding-hot water and mysterious metals, are located in an area researchers thought was geologically dead.

The newly discovered vents, named after various entities from Norse mythology, lie at a depth of around 9,850 feet (3,000 meters) southwest of Svalbard — a Norwegian archipelago within the Arctic Circle. The field, which is named the Jøtul hydrothermal field after a race of beings from Norse mythology known as the giants, or "jötnar," is around 3,300 feet (1,000 m) long and 650 feet (200 m) across, and contains a mix of active and dormant vents. 

One of the largest vents, which has multiple chimneys and sprawling rocky branches, is named Yggdrasil after the cosmic tree of life that connects the nine realms of Norse mythology. Another set of vents, known as the Nidhogg spring, gets its name from the serpent-like dragon fabled to have lived in Yggdrasil and gnawed on its roots.

Researchers discovered the fantastical vents in 2022 during an expedition of the Knipovich Ridge — a 310-mile-long (500 kilometers) raised section of the seabed between Svalbard and Greenland. The researchers used remote underwater vehicles to photograph the vents and take samples of the water bubbling from the chimneys. Some of the outflows reached up to 572 degrees Fahrenheit (300 degrees Celsius). 

The researchers published their findings from the expedition May 3 in the journal Scientific Reports.

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The discovery was a big surprise because the Knipovich Ridge was previously believed to be geothermally dormant, the researchers wrote in a recent statement.