hydrothermal

adjective hy·dro·ther·mal \ ˌhī-drə-ˈthər-məl \

|Updated on: 14 Aug 2018

Definition of hydrothermal

: of or relating to hot water —used especially of the formation of minerals by hot solutions rising from a cooling magma

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hydrothermally

play \ˌhī-drə-ˈthər-mə-lē\ adverb

Recent Examples of hydrothermal from the Web

Like Enceladus, Europa is thought to have hydrothermal activity on the ocean floor and plumes erupting into space, so this moon is the target of NASA's next flagship mission to the outer solar system.

— jay bennett, Popular Mechanics, "Saturn's Moon Enceladus Is Spewing Complex Organic Molecules Into Space," 27 June 2018
Gangidine and his team routinely travel to Yellowstone to trek into the park’s hydrothermal fields—grassy plains pocketed with gassy geologic features—and collect samples.

— ula chrobak, Outside Online, "This Scientist Learns About Life on Mars in Yellowstone," 18 June 2018
Three things are said to indicate that a super volcano is about to erupt: increased seismic activity, increased ground deformation and changes in the hydrothermal system or increased gas outlet at the surface.

— candace sutton, Fox News, "Quakes and eruptions spark talks of Yellowstone super volcano," 7 May 2018
This would be exciting because only two things make methane on Earth: hydrothermal systems and similar hot forms of geology; and microbes.

— The Economist, "Seasonal changes in Mars’s air are probably not signs of life. Probably," 7 June 2018
Explore the Hydrothermal Areas: Boiling pools, steam rising from the ground, bubbling mud pots – these are just some of the types of hydrothermal areas that can be found within Lassen Volcanic National Park.

— susan b. barnes, USA TODAY, "Lassen Volcanic National Park: 10 tips for your visit," 29 Apr. 2018
The surreal colors come from the sulphur, potash, and other minerals that saturate the Dallol hydrothermal field.

— laura mallonee, WIRED, "Unreal Views of the Trippy Colors in Ethiopia's Danakil Desert," 15 May 2018
The prevailing theory is the water comes directly from Europa's subsurface ocean and is being driven upward by hydrothermal activity much like that which powers geysers on Earth.

— sarah kaplan, courant.com, "Scientists discover new evidence for plumes on Europa, a target in the search for life," 14 May 2018
The prevailing theory is the water comes directly from Europa's subsurface ocean and is being driven upward by hydrothermal activity much like that which powers geysers on Earth.

— sarah kaplan, ajc, "Scientists discover new evidence for jets of water on Europa, a target in the search for life," 14 May 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'hydrothermal.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.