👉 The pillow fluid, also known as water or brine, is a key component in deep-sea environments, particularly around hydrothermal vents and cold seeps. This fluid forms when seawater percolates through the Earth's crust, gets heated by underlying magma or hot rocks, and then rises back to the seafloor, where it mixes with cold seawater. This rapid temperature change causes the dissolved minerals and gases in the fluid to precipitate out, forming a series of rounded, pillow-like structures that resemble pillows on the seafloor. These structures are crucial for supporting unique ecosystems, as they provide surfaces for chemosynthetic bacteria to thrive and serve as habitats for various deep-sea organisms.
