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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Explorer Deep | inactive | mid-ocean ridge | Explorer Ridge | 50.1000 | -129.7500 | 3200 | 1969, deposits only |
| GEISEIR site 17, segment L3 | active, inferred | mid-ocean ridge | SEIR | -41.6498 | 87.3481 | 2500 | 2010 plume only |
| Rose Garden | active, confirmed | mid-ocean ridge | Galapagos Rift | 0.8058 | -86.2267 | 2550 | 1977 submersible Alvin; 1976 plume and photographs of clam shells did not confirm activity (note: Rose Garden is used here as the name of the vent field, but Rose Garden vent site itself not discovered until 1979) |
| MAR, 28 S | active, inferred | mid-ocean ridge | S MAR | -27.7936 | -13.3730 | 3217 | 2013 plume only |
| MAR, 8 10'S | active, inferred | mid-ocean ridge | S MAR | -8.1670 | -13.4670 | 2000 | 2001 plume only |
| EPR, 14 N seamount | inactive | mid-ocean ridge | N EPR | 14.1500 | -104.3667 | 2600 | NotProvided |
| Don Joao de Castro Bank | active, confirmed | mid-ocean ridge | Terceira Rift | 38.2300 | -26.6300 | 45 | 1995 SCUBA |
| Krasnov | inactive | mid-ocean ridge | N MAR | 16.6400 | -46.4750 | 3900 | 2002 or earlier plume only; 2004 TV grab indicated inactive; 2007 ROV Victor indicated inactive |
| EPR, 18 26'S | active, confirmed | mid-ocean ridge | S EPR | -18.4333 | -113.3833 | 2650 | 1993 submersible Nautile; 1983 seafloor photos, temperature anomalies, and deposits did not confirm activity; 1984 submersible Cyana observed only inactive sites; 1985/86 or 1989 TV grab (need to check references to confirm activity) |
| TAG | active, confirmed | mid-ocean ridge | N MAR | 26.1367 | -44.8267 | 3670 | 1985 towed camera and temperature anomaly; 1986 submersible Alvin |
| GEISEIR site 24, segment M3 | active, inferred | mid-ocean ridge | SEIR | -43.0369 | 91.0357 | 2400 | 2009 plume only |
| near Jade Emperor Mountain, on-axis | active, inferred | mid-ocean ridge | SWIR | -37.8666 | 49.2166 | 3000 | 2010 plume only |
| EPR, 27.9 S, Segment W3 | active, inferred | mid-ocean ridge | S EPR | -27.8670 | -112.9120 | 2180 | 1998 plume only |
| GEISEIR site 22, segment L3 | active, inferred | mid-ocean ridge | SEIR | -42.1130 | 88.0420 | 2400 | 1996 plume only; 2009 plume only |
| Saldanha | active, confirmed | mid-ocean ridge | N MAR | 36.5667 | -33.4333 | 2300 | 1998 submersible Nautile |
| SWIR, D62 | active, inferred | mid-ocean ridge | SWIR | -52.2530 | 15.1030 | 3990 | 2000-2001 plume and dredge only |
| Medusa | active, confirmed | mid-ocean ridge | N EPR | 9.1404 | -104.2065 | 2580 | 2007 ROV Jason II; 1991 plume only |
| Bai Causeway | active, inferred | mid-ocean ridge | SWIR | -37.9000 | 48.8000 | 3000 | 2014 leg 2 or 3 of the 30th Chinese Cruise |
| Ashadze-3 | inactive | mid-ocean ridge | N MAR | 12.9860 | -44.8610 | 4200 | 2005 plume and dredge only |
| GEISEIR site 35, segment O3 | active, inferred | mid-ocean ridge | SEIR | -47.6179 | 97.8678 | 2600 | 2009 plume only |
| White Point, Palos Verde, California | active, confirmed | other | Coastal California | 33.7000 | -118.3167 | 10 | 1984 or earlier, likely by SCUBA |
| Dorado Outcrop | active, confirmed | other | 9.0800 | -87.0950 | 3000 | 2013 ROV Jason Dive J2-751 | |
| San Felipe | active, inferred | other | Coastal Baja California | 31.0000 | -114.8000 | 1 | 1982 or earlier, likely from shore |
| Prony Bay | active, confirmed | other | -22.3333 | 166.8333 | 50 | 1979 or earlier, likely SCUBA | |
| Ischia Island, Gulf of Naples | active, confirmed | other | Coastal Italy | 40.7306 | 13.9500 | 10 | 1954 or earlier, from the beach |
| Vema Fracture Zone | active, inferred | other | N MAR | 10.7100 | -42.6800 | 5180 | 2015 plume only |
| Punta Banda | active, confirmed | other | Coastal Baja California | 31.7500 | -116.7500 | 30 | 1960's commercial abalone divers |
| Bahia Concepcion | active, confirmed | other | Coastal Baja California | 26.6667 | -111.8333 | 15 | 1968 or earlier, likely by SCUBA |
| Punta Mita, Bahia de Banderas | active, confirmed | other | Coastal Mexico | 20.7700 | -105.5200 | 10 | 1997 photo/video most likely by SCUBA |
| Capo Miseno, Gulf of Naples | active, confirmed | other | Coastal Italy | 40.7833 | 14.0833 | 20 | 1982 or earlier, likely by SCUBA |