Science. 1979 May 11;204(4393):613-6. doi: 10.1126/science.204.4393.613.
The Galápagos mounds sea-floor hydrothermal system is at least 300,000 years old and once produced manganese-poor sediments, which nearly blanketed the area of the present mounds field. Present-day mound deposits are limited manganese-rich exposures, suggesting that the system has changed from rock-to water-dominated and has diminished in intensity with time.
加拉帕戈斯海隆海底热液系统的年龄至少有 30 万年，曾经产生过贫锰沉积物，几乎覆盖了现今海隆区的整个区域。目前的海隆沉积物仅限于富锰的露头，这表明该系统已经从岩石控制为主转变为以水控制为主，并且随着时间的推移强度已经减弱。
