This question is not only important for the fundamental understanding of processes on our planet. It also has very practical implications. Some of the materials leached from the underground are deposited on the seabed and form ore deposits that may be of economically interest. There is a major debate, however, how large the resource potential of these deposits might be. "When we know which paths the water travels underground, we can better estimate the quantities of materials released by black smokers over thousands of years," says Hasenclever.