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Porous Silica Scaffolds Enable Mechanically Robust Simulated Hydrothermal Chimney Growth
Seneca J Velling1,2,3, Jessica M Weber1, John-Paul Jones1
1NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California 91109, United States.
Langmuir : the ACS Journal of Surfaces and Colloids
|July 17, 2025
Summary
Researchers created stronger, more stable laboratory analogs of seafloor hydrothermal chimneys using 3D printed scaffolds. This new method enhances the study of these important geological structures and their formation processes.
Area of Science:
- Geochemistry
- Materials Science
- Astrobiology
Background:
- Chemical garden experiments create laboratory analogs of seafloor hydrothermal chimneys.
- These analogs are crucial for studying Earth's hydrothermal systems and potential ocean worlds.
- Existing methods produce fragile structures, hindering detailed analysis.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a method for producing more robust and extractable chemical garden chimney analogs.
- To improve the structural integrity of simulated hydrothermal chimneys for enhanced characterization.
- To enable better in situ and ex situ studies of chimney formation and evolution.
Main Methods:
- Precipitating chemical gardens within 3D scaffolds made of hydrothermally relevant minerals.
- Utilizing vat stereolithography to fabricate scaffolds with controlled architectures (square cubic, inverse opal, Voronoi).
- Incorporating mineral fillers into scaffolds to enhance nucleation and support chimney growth.
Main Results:
- The 3D scaffolds provided structural support, enabling stable growth of chimney analogs.
- Accelerated precipitation rates up to 3 mL/min (40-500× faster than previous methods) were achieved.
- The method resulted in physically stable chimney structures suitable for extraction and study.
Conclusions:
- 3D flow-through scaffolds significantly improve the stability and robustness of simulated hydrothermal chimneys.
- This enhanced stability facilitates detailed study of growth, evolution, and alteration processes.
- The technique opens new avenues for researching hydrothermal systems on Earth and other planets.
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