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hydrothermal

American  
[hahy-druh-thur-muhl] / ˌhaɪ drəˈθɜr məl /

adjective

Geology.
  1. noting or pertaining to the action of hot, aqueous solutions or gases within or on the surface of the earth.


hydrothermal British  
/ ˌhaɪdrəʊˈθɜːməl /

adjective

  1. of or relating to the action of water under conditions of high temperature, esp in forming rocks and minerals

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

hydrothermal Scientific  
/ hī′drə-thûrməl /
  1. Relating to or produced by hot water, especially water heated underground by the Earth's internal heat.

  2. Hydrothermal energy is power that is generated using the Earth's hot water.


Other Word Forms

  • hydrothermally adverb

Etymology

Origin of hydrothermal

First recorded in 1840–50; hydro- 1 + thermal

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

A new study published in Scientific Reports describes the discovery of an unusually large hydrothermal vent field on the shallow seafloor surrounding the Greek island of Milos.

From Science Daily

"Life probably required some very specialized conditions to get started, like near volcanoes or hydrothermal vents with complex chemistry," Browne said.

From Science Daily

Brandl adds: "No one really expected to find a hydrothermal field here, let alone one that is so exceptional."

From Science Daily

This included alternative uses for the site such as hydrothermal plastics recycling and anaerobic digestion.

From BBC

The amphipod was discovered at a depth of 2,602 meters in a mussel bed within the Galápagos Rift hydrothermal vent fields.

From Science Daily