Collapse Basin and Diffuse Flow
Collapse basin, which once contained molten basalt, host a small colony of tube worms. Molten 1200°C, basaltic melt commonly forms pools in the subsurface. The top of the lava-filled pool "freezes" and crusts over with crystalline material as it rapidly cools against the overlying 2°C ocean water. Bathtub-like rings form when the melt drains out to other areas on the seafloor. Following drain-backs the roof is not strong enough to support its weight and the roof collapses to the floor of the basin.
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