Which mineral could have been deposited by black smokers on the sea floor
A: calcium
B: silicon
C: iron sulfide
D: barium
C: iron sulfide
The mineral that could have been deposited by black smokers on the sea floor is iron sulfide.
The mineral that could have been deposited by black smokers on the sea floor is iron sulfide, option C.
Black smokers are hydrothermal vents located on the ocean floor, which release hot, mineral-rich fluids into the surrounding seawater. These fluids contain various minerals that precipitate out as the hot fluid mixes with the colder seawater. One of the common minerals found in black smokers is iron sulfide, also known as pyrite or fool's gold.
To arrive at the correct answer, you can use your knowledge of black smokers and the minerals associated with hydrothermal vents. Alternatively, you can conduct research, either online or in scientific literature, on black smokers and the minerals they produce. By understanding the geological processes occurring around black smokers, you would learn that iron sulfide is the mineral most commonly associated with such hydrothermal vents.