Vent Fields
Welcome to the InterRidge Global Database of Active Submarine Hydrothermal Vent Fields (the “InterRidge Vents Database”).
To sort the list of Vent Fields, click on a column header.
To view details for a specific Vent Field, click on the Name ID.
To view the subset of Vent Fields that contain a specific category, click on the category (for example, "active, confirmed" in the "Activity" column).
| Vent Field Name ID | Activity |
Tectonic Setting |
Region | Latitude | Longitude | Maximum or Single Reported Depth | Year and How Discovered |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Axial Seamount, ASHES | active, confirmed | mid-ocean ridge | JdF Ridge | 45.9333 | -130.0140 | 1540 | 1984 submersible Alvin |
| EPR, 8 53'N | active, inferred | mid-ocean ridge | N EPR | 8.9000 | -104.2000 | 2580 | 1991 plume only |
| Galapagos Rift, 93.7 W | active, inferred | mid-ocean ridge | Galapagos Rift | 2.4970 | -93.7700 | 2220 | 2005 plume only |
| MAR, 16 46'N | inactive | mid-ocean ridge | N MAR | 16.7950 | -46.3800 | 3300 | NotProvided |
| Animal Farm | active, confirmed | mid-ocean ridge | S EPR | -18.6080 | -113.4000 | 2675 | 1993 submersible Nautile |
| EPR, 11 45'N, OSC | active, inferred | mid-ocean ridge | N EPR | 11.7775 | -103.8300 | 2580 | 1984 Angus camera (or 1985 Argo video) tow with temperature; 1988 submersible Alvin dive #2004 (need reference to confirm activity) |
| GEISEIR site 5, segment K1 | active, inferred | mid-ocean ridge | SEIR | -41.2420 | 81.1580 | 2860 | 1996 plume only; 2007 plume only |
| EPR, 17 47'S | active, inferred | mid-ocean ridge | S EPR | -17.7900 | -113.3000 | 2600 | 1993 plume only |
| EPR, 7 25'S | active, confirmed | mid-ocean ridge | S EPR | -7.4167 | -107.8000 | 2750 | 1985/86 or 1989 TV grab (need to check references to confirm activity); 1998 submersible Alvin |
| Menez Gwen | active, confirmed | mid-ocean ridge | N MAR | 37.8417 | -31.5250 | 865 | 1994 submersible Nautile |
| Lucky B | active, inferred | mid-ocean ridge | Lena Trough | 81.3610 | -3.4400 | 4000 | 1999 dredging only |
| Landing Stage | active, inferred | mid-ocean ridge | SWIR | -37.5000 | 51.0000 | 2300 | 2014 leg 2 or 3 of the 30th Chinese Cruise |
| MAR, 33 S | active, inferred | mid-ocean ridge | S MAR | -32.9676 | -14.4517 | 2600 | 2013 plume only |
| Broken Spur | active, confirmed | mid-ocean ridge | N MAR | 29.1700 | -43.1717 | 3100 | 1993 submersible Alvin; earlier in 1993, water column anomalies and towed camera did not confirm activity |
| EPR, Ridge 3, 20 40'S | active, confirmed | mid-ocean ridge | S EPR | -20.3333 | -113.6792 | 3050 | 1983 Deep Tow camera |
| Gorda Ridge, GR-15 | active, inferred | mid-ocean ridge | Gorda Ridge | 42.9500 | -126.5500 | 3365 | 1985 plume only |
| MAR, 8 10'S | active, inferred | mid-ocean ridge | S MAR | -8.1670 | -13.4670 | 2000 | 2001 plume only |
| GEISEIR site 36, segment O3 | active, inferred | mid-ocean ridge | SEIR | -47.7009 | 98.0631 | 2700 | 2009 plume only |
| SWIR, D62 | active, inferred | mid-ocean ridge | SWIR | -52.2530 | 15.1030 | 3990 | 2000-2001 plume and dredge only |
| Solitaire Field | active, confirmed | mid-ocean ridge | CIR | -19.5450 | 65.8500 | 2630 | 2009 submersible Shinkai 6500; 2006 plume only |
| E Eye of Mordor | inactive | mid-ocean ridge | Galapagos Rift | 1.9058 | -91.2310 | 1600 | 2005 towed video Medea found inactive chimneys |
| W Eye of Mordor | inactive | mid-ocean ridge | Galapagos Rift | 1.9707 | -91.3900 | 1600 | 2005 towed video Medea observed inactive chimneys |
| EPR, 20 S | active, inferred | mid-ocean ridge | S EPR | -20.0333 | -113.6843 | 3000 | 1999 submersible Alvin did not confirm activity |
| MAR, 11 26'N | active, inferred | mid-ocean ridge | N MAR | 11.4482 | -43.7035 | 3835 | 2009 plume only |
| Chile Triple Junction | active, inferred | mid-ocean ridge | Chile Rise | -46.3000 | -75.8000 | 3000 | 2010 plume only |
| Alarcon Rise, Tzab-ek | active, confirmed | mid-ocean ridge | Gulf of California | 23.3526 | -108.5597 | 2249 | 2015 ROV Doc Ricketts |
| Zouyu ridge | active, confirmed | mid-ocean ridge | S MAR | -13.2800 | -14.4100 | 2315 | 2009 towed video |
| SEIR-WXC17 | active, inferred | mid-ocean ridge | SEIR | -50.3000 | 133.8000 | 2780 | 2015 plume only |
| Floc | active, confirmed | mid-ocean ridge | JdF Ridge | 46.3133 | -129.7050 | 2290 | 1993 DEEPTOW and submersible Alvin |
| EPR, 22 30'S | active, inferred | mid-ocean ridge | S EPR | -22.5000 | -114.3670 | 2600 | 1985/86 or 1989 TV grab (need to check references to confirm activity) |