 They are of geological interest as they occur in a relatively stable region of the Earth's crust, one with diminished tectonic forces and consequently fewer hydrothermal vents.The vents were discovered by a 25-person multinational scientific expedition of the University of Bergen, Norway, more than north of what were previously the northernmost known, discovered in 2005.The 2005 and 2008 expeditions were both led by geologist Rolf Pedersen of the university’s Centre for Geobiology, aboard the research vessel "G.O.