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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Logatchev-5 | inactive | mid-ocean ridge | N MAR | 14.7500 | -44.9700 | 3100 | 2007 ROV VICTOR 6000 did not find hydrothermal activity |
| AHA Field | active, confirmed | mid-ocean ridge | N EPR | 1.7333 | -102.2830 | 2850 | 2000 towed imaging ARGO-II |
| Uka Pacha | active, confirmed | mid-ocean ridge | Galapagos Rift | 0.7700 | -88.3000 | 2100 | 2011 ROV Little Hercules |
| EPR, 37 48'S Axial Dome | active, confirmed | mid-ocean ridge | Pacific-Antarctic Ridge | -37.8000 | -110.9167 | 2200 | 2001 towed video and TV-grab |
| Area JX | active, inferred | mid-ocean ridge | CIR | -22.9666 | 69.1833 | 3500 | 1986 plume only (camera tow did not confirm) |
| CIR, 8-17 S, Segment 2 | active, inferred | mid-ocean ridge | CIR | -9.9000 | 66.7500 | 4000 | 2010 plume only |
| EPR, 11 18'S | active, confirmed | mid-ocean ridge | S EPR | -11.3000 | -110.5300 | 2650 | 1985/86 or 1989 TV grab (need to check references to confirm activity); 1998 submersible Alvin |
| EPR, southern 16 N segment | active, inferred | mid-ocean ridge | N EPR | 15.5000 | -105.4000 | 2300 | 1997 plume only |
| Vityaz megamullion | active, inferred | mid-ocean ridge | CIR | -5.4000 | 68.5833 | 3500 | 1979 plume and deposits only |
| Salty Dawg Field | active, confirmed | mid-ocean ridge | JdF Ridge | 47.9822 | -129.0756 | 2200 | 1995 submersible Alvin, followed by ROV ROPOS |
| Guaymas Basin, Northern Trough | inactive | mid-ocean ridge | Gulf of California | 27.3050 | -111.5067 | 2000 | 1977 submersible Seacliff (hydrothermal deposits only) |
| Zouyu ridge | active, confirmed | mid-ocean ridge | S MAR | -13.2800 | -14.4100 | 2315 | 2009 towed video |
| Floc | active, confirmed | mid-ocean ridge | JdF Ridge | 46.3133 | -129.7050 | 2290 | 1993 DEEPTOW and submersible Alvin |
| Ringvent | active, confirmed | mid-ocean ridge | Gulf of California | 27.5083 | -111.6792 | 1740 | 2016 submersible Alvin; 2009 towed camera/CTD/bottles |
| Magic Mountain, 3-km south | active, inferred | mid-ocean ridge | Explorer Ridge | 49.7250 | -130.2667 | 1850 | 2002 AUV ABE plume only |
| Merian | active, inferred | mid-ocean ridge | S MAR | -26.0166 | -13.8500 | 2550 | 2012 R/V Dayang Yihao; 2013 AUV Abyss plume and side-scan data |
| SEIR-WXC06 | active, inferred | mid-ocean ridge | SEIR | -50.2500 | 138.5500 | 2400 | 2015 plume only |
| EPR, 14 S | active, confirmed | mid-ocean ridge | S EPR | -13.9667 | -112.4667 | 2635 | 1985/86 or 1989 TV grab (need to check references to confirm activity); 1993 plume only; 1994 submersible Shinkai 6500 |
| EPR, 17 44'S | active, confirmed | mid-ocean ridge | S EPR | -17.7330 | -113.2660 | 2622 | 1998 submersible Alvin; 1993 plume only; not explored by Nautile in 1993 or Shinkai 6500 in 1994 |
| GEISEIR site 7, segment K3 | active, inferred | mid-ocean ridge | SEIR | -41.8020 | 81.8380 | 2540 | 1996 plume only; 2010 plume only |
| Capo Palinuro | active, confirmed | other | Coastal Italy | 40.0167 | 15.2667 | 30 | 1990 or earlier, likely by SCUBA |
| 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 |
| 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 | |
| Punta Banda | active, confirmed | other | Coastal Baja California | 31.7500 | -116.7500 | 30 | 1960's commercial abalone divers |
| San Felipe | active, inferred | other | Coastal Baja California | 31.0000 | -114.8000 | 1 | 1982 or earlier, likely from shore |
| Punta Mita, Bahia de Banderas | active, confirmed | other | Coastal Mexico | 20.7700 | -105.5200 | 10 | 1997 photo/video most likely by SCUBA |
| Bahia Concepcion | active, confirmed | other | Coastal Baja California | 26.6667 | -111.8333 | 15 | 1968 or earlier, likely by SCUBA |