Read the passage below. Based on the directional and sensor evidence provided, what is the logical conclusion regarding the location of the vent? Fill in the blank to complete the deduction.
Answer:Deep-sea thermal loggers recorded anomalous temperature spikes at an abyssal survey site only when hydrothermal vents discharged heated fluids. Whenever bottom currents shifted westward, Eastern Sensor Array detected no thermal deviation, while Western Sensor Array registered immediate temperature increases exceeding eight degrees Celsius. Given that thermal plumes travel exclusively downstream with local currents, researchers deduced that the active hydrothermal vent must be located directly 【east】 of the Western Sensor Array.
Answer
east (or upstream)
The passage specifies that thermal plumes move strictly downstream with local currents. When bottom currents travel westward, the fluid flows from east to west. Because the Western Sensor Array detects the plume under these exact conditions, the sensor must be downstream of the source, meaning the active vent must be located upstream, directly to the east of the Western Sensor Array.
Step-by-Step Solution
Key Concept
Synthesizing directional flow constraints and sensor detection data to deduce an unstated spatial origin.
Estimated Time:1m 30s