13. The pH Of The Surrounding Water Is Affected By The Vents
A neutral pH – room-temperature water that has not been ionized – is 7. Anything below 7 is considered to be acidic. Lemon juice and vinegar, both acidic, have a pH of 2. Battery acid, the most corrosive acid there is, has a pH of 0.
Anything above 7 is considered to be alkaline, or basic. Regular seawater has a pH of 8, and bleach has a pH of 12. The water surrounding the vents has a pH of between 10 and 11, depending on the location, making it markedly more alkaline than regular seawater.