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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ashadze-3 | inactive | mid-ocean ridge | N MAR | 12.9860 | -44.8610 | 4200 | 2005 plume and dredge only |
| Zouyu ridge | active, confirmed | mid-ocean ridge | S MAR | -13.2800 | -14.4100 | 2315 | 2009 towed video |
| EPR, 9 50'N | active, confirmed | mid-ocean ridge | N EPR | 9.8300 | -104.2900 | 2520 | 1989 Argo I towed video |
| EPR, 16 24'S | active, inferred | mid-ocean ridge | S EPR | -16.4000 | -113.0500 | 2640 | 1993 plume only |
| GEISEIR site 6, segment K2 | active, inferred | mid-ocean ridge | SEIR | -41.6600 | 81.6617 | 2600 | 2007 plume only; 2010 plume only |
| EPR, 7 S | active, inferred | mid-ocean ridge | S EPR | -7.0000 | -107.5500 | 2600 | 1985/86 or 1989 TV grab |
| Galapagos Rift, 93.7 W | active, inferred | mid-ocean ridge | Galapagos Rift | 2.4970 | -93.7700 | 2220 | 2005 plume only |
| Galapagos Mounds | active, confirmed | mid-ocean ridge | Galapagos Rift | 1.4500 | -86.1665 | 2700 | 1977 submersible Alvin |
| SESCA | active, inferred | mid-ocean ridge | Gorda Ridge | 40.7500 | -127.5200 | 3300 | 1986 sediments and heat-flow measurements |
| Rehu-Marka | active, confirmed | mid-ocean ridge | S EPR | -17.4333 | -113.2000 | 2590 | 1993 submersible Nautile; 1984 submersible Cyana - Auzende et al. (1996) says that no active black smokers were discovered but Krasnov et al. (1997) says one black smoker observed |
| Explorer Deep | inactive | mid-ocean ridge | Explorer Ridge | 50.1000 | -129.7500 | 3200 | 1969, deposits only |
| Landing Stage | active, inferred | mid-ocean ridge | SWIR | -37.5000 | 51.0000 | 2300 | 2014 leg 2 or 3 of the 30th Chinese Cruise |
| Kolbeinsey Ridge, 69 N | active, inferred | mid-ocean ridge | Kolbeinsey Ridge | 68.7581 | -16.0000 | 1200 | 1980 or earlier sediments only |
| MAR, 33 S | active, inferred | mid-ocean ridge | S MAR | -32.9676 | -14.4517 | 2600 | 2013 plume only |
| GEISEIR site 30, segment O1 | active, inferred | mid-ocean ridge | SEIR | -46.6240 | 96.0594 | 2500 | 2009 plume only |
| EPR, 18 10'S | active, confirmed | mid-ocean ridge | S EPR | -18.1700 | -113.3440 | 2700 | 1993 submersible Nautile; 1983 temperature and light attenuation anomalies |
| Lucky Strike segment, southern end | active, inferred | mid-ocean ridge | N MAR | 37.0500 | -32.4200 | 2600 | 1994 plume only |
| GEISEIR site 19, segment L3 | active, inferred | mid-ocean ridge | SEIR | -41.8333 | 87.6266 | 2400 | 2009 GEISEIR 1 and 2010 GEISEIR 2 plume only |
| Gorda Ridge, GR-15 | active, inferred | mid-ocean ridge | Gorda Ridge | 42.9500 | -126.5500 | 3365 | 1985 plume only |
| Longqi | active, confirmed | mid-ocean ridge | SWIR | -37.7838 | 49.6494 | 2785 | 2007 towed video sled followed by AUV ABE; 2005 plume only |
| EPR, 23 30'S | active, confirmed | mid-ocean ridge | S EPR | -23.5333 | -115.5667 | 2600 | 1987 or earlier [need to check Marchig & Gundlach (1987)]; 2005 submersible Alvin |
| SEIR-WXC17 | active, inferred | mid-ocean ridge | SEIR | -50.3000 | 133.8000 | 2780 | 2015 plume only |
| E Eye of Mordor | inactive | mid-ocean ridge | Galapagos Rift | 1.9058 | -91.2310 | 1600 | 2005 towed video Medea found inactive chimneys |
| MAR, 27 N | active, inferred | mid-ocean ridge | N MAR | 27.0000 | -44.5000 | 2900 | 1993 plume only |
| CIR, 8-17 S, Segment 3 | active, inferred | mid-ocean ridge | CIR | -10.6600 | 66.5000 | 3500 | 2010 plume only |
| EPR, 11 17'N | active, confirmed | mid-ocean ridge | N EPR | 11.2833 | -103.7583 | 2560 | 1984 Angus camera (or 1985 Argo video) tow with temperature |
| EPR, 21 54'S | active, inferred | mid-ocean ridge | S EPR | -21.9000 | -114.5000 | 2800 | 1987-1988 deposits only [need to check Fouquet et al. (1993) for confirmation] |
| MAR, 12 48'N | inactive | mid-ocean ridge | N MAR | 12.8000 | -44.7883 | 2400 | NotProvided |
| High-Rise Field | active, confirmed | mid-ocean ridge | JdF Ridge | 47.9666 | -129.0894 | 2200 | 1988 submersible Alvin |
| SWIR, D9B | active, inferred | mid-ocean ridge | SWIR | -52.7070 | 18.8170 | 3931 | 2000-2001 plume and dredge only |