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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Middle Valley, Dead Dog Vent Field | active, confirmed | mid-ocean ridge | JdF Ridge | 48.4560 | -128.7088 | 2450 | 1990 HOV Alvin |
| S Oceanographer | active, inferred | mid-ocean ridge | N MAR | 34.8670 | -36.4330 | 3460 | 1992 plume only |
| SWIR, Plume 5 | active, inferred | mid-ocean ridge | SWIR | -27.9170 | 64.4500 | 4000 | 1997 plume only |
| Area JX | active, inferred | mid-ocean ridge | CIR | -22.9666 | 69.1833 | 3500 | 1986 plume only (camera tow did not confirm) |
| Baby Bare Seamount | active, confirmed | mid-ocean ridge | JdF Ridge | 47.7100 | -127.7870 | 2600 | 1995 submersible Alvin |
| EPR, 9 33'N | active, confirmed | mid-ocean ridge | N EPR | 9.5583 | -104.2500 | 2574 | 1989 Argo I towed video; 1991 submersible Alvin |
| Pacific-Antarctic Ridge, 64 S segment | active, inferred | mid-ocean ridge | Pacific-Antarctic Ridge | -64.5000 | -170.0000 | 2300 | 2009 plume only |
| Galapagos Rift, 95 W | inactive | mid-ocean ridge | Galapagos Rift | 2.5000 | -95.1667 | 2600 | NotProvided |
| Logatchev-5 | inactive | mid-ocean ridge | N MAR | 14.7500 | -44.9700 | 3100 | 2007 ROV VICTOR 6000 did not find hydrothermal activity |
| Carlsberg Ridge, 63 50'E | active, inferred | mid-ocean ridge | Carlsberg Ridge | 3.6916 | 63.8333 | 3500 | 2009 plume only; 2012 plume and deposits |
| EPR, 10 34'S | active, inferred | mid-ocean ridge | S EPR | -10.5667 | -110.2800 | 2900 | 1985/86 or 1989 TV grab (need to check references to confirm activity) |
| CIR, 8-17 S, Segment 4, 10.9 S | active, inferred | mid-ocean ridge | CIR | -10.9000 | 66.7000 | 3500 | 2010 plume only |
| EPR, 16 08'S | active, inferred | mid-ocean ridge | S EPR | -16.1300 | -113.0000 | 2640 | 1993 plume only |
| Gakkel Ridge, Site 6 | active, inferred | mid-ocean ridge | Gakkel Ridge | 86.5333 | 43.0000 | 3000 | 2001 plume only |
| EPR, 3.9 N offset | active, confirmed | mid-ocean ridge | N EPR | 3.9170 | -102.2330 | 2875 | 1989 or earlier Deep Tow photographs (cruise RIFTS or PAPATUA) |
| Semyenov-2 | active, confirmed | mid-ocean ridge | N MAR | 13.5137 | -44.9630 | 2440 | 2009 TV grab and photo-TV profiling; 2007 deposits only |
| Mounds and Microbes | active, confirmed | mid-ocean ridge | N EPR | 9.4500 | -104.5383 | 2950 | 2002 submersible Alvin; 1994 submersible Alvin did not confirm activity |
| GEISEIR site 11, segment K4 | active, inferred | mid-ocean ridge | SEIR | -42.5375 | 82.8266 | 2600 | 2010 plume only |
| EPR, southern 17 N segment | active, inferred | mid-ocean ridge | N EPR | 16.5800 | -105.3000 | 2700 | 1997 plume only |
| Pito Seamount | active, confirmed | mid-ocean ridge | S EPR | -23.3275 | -111.6402 | 2270 | 1993 submersible Nautile |
| Magic Mountain, 3-km south | active, inferred | mid-ocean ridge | Explorer Ridge | 49.7250 | -130.2667 | 1850 | 2002 AUV ABE plume only |
| Reykjanes Ridge, Area A | active, inferred | mid-ocean ridge | Reykjanes Ridge | 62.4500 | -25.4330 | 500 | NotProvided |
| Ribeira Quente | active, confirmed | mid-ocean ridge | Terceira Rift | 37.7250 | -25.3160 | 10 | 1986 or earlier, likely from shore or by SCUBA |
| MAR, 4 48'S | active, confirmed | mid-ocean ridge | S MAR | -4.8058 | -12.3742 | 3050 | 2005 AUV ABE (cruise CD169 ) followed by ROV Quest (cruise M64/1) |
| EPR, 13 N, SE Seamount | inactive | mid-ocean ridge | N EPR | 12.7000 | -103.8600 | 2500 | 1981 towed camera, dredging, and plume did not confirm activity; 1982 and 1984 submersible Cyana did not confirm activity |
| EPR, 17 S | active, inferred | mid-ocean ridge | S EPR | -17.0000 | -113.1170 | 2680 | 1993 plume only |
| SEIR-WXC06 | active, inferred | mid-ocean ridge | SEIR | -50.2500 | 138.5500 | 2400 | 2015 plume only |
| S-OH1 | active, inferred | mid-ocean ridge | N MAR | 34.5330 | -36.8500 | 3000 | 1996 submersible Nautile did not find active vents; 2000 or earlier plume only |
| Alarcon Rise/Pescadero intersection | active, inferred | mid-ocean ridge | Gulf of California | 23.6423 | -108.3948 | 2384 | 2015 ROV Doc Ricketts did not confirm activity |
| SWIR, D50B | active, inferred | mid-ocean ridge | SWIR | -52.4200 | 12.7480 | 3913 | 2000-2001 plume and dredge only |