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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Espalamaca | active, confirmed | intra-plate volcano | 38.5500 | -28.6000 | 50 | 2010 or earlier likely SCUBA | |
| Vailulu'u Seamount | active, confirmed | intra-plate volcano | Central Pacific | -14.2167 | -169.0667 | 1000 | 2005 submersible Pisces V; 2000 plume only |
| Macdonald Seamount | active, confirmed | intra-plate volcano | Central Pacific | -28.9833 | -140.2500 | 150 | 1989 submersible Cyana |
| Bounty Seamount | active, confirmed | intra-plate volcano | Central Pacific | -25.1667 | -129.4000 | 420 | 1999 submersible Nautile; 1989 plume only |
| Teahitia seamount | active, confirmed | intra-plate volcano | Central Pacific | -17.5670 | -148.8167 | 1460 | 1983 submersible Cyana |
| Loihi Seamount | active, confirmed | intra-plate volcano | Central Pacific | 18.9500 | -155.2500 | 4800 | 1985 bottom photography R/V Hakuho Maru; 1987 submersible Alvin |
| EPR, 20 06'S | active, confirmed | mid-ocean ridge | S EPR | -20.1000 | -113.7080 | 3000 | 1981 Angus camera tow; 1984 submersible Cyana |
| 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 |
| MAR, 4 02'S | active, inferred | mid-ocean ridge | S MAR | -4.0333 | -12.2500 | 4000 | 2005 plume only |
| EPR, 28 S, Segment W3 | active, inferred | mid-ocean ridge | S EPR | -28.0170 | -112.9040 | 2130 | 1998 plume only |
| Flow | active, confirmed | mid-ocean ridge | JdF Ridge | 46.5250 | -129.5783 | 2390 | 1993 ROV ROPOS |
| Brown Bear Seamount | inactive | mid-ocean ridge | JdF Ridge | 46.0333 | -130.5500 | 1500 | NotProvided |
| Saguaro Field | active, confirmed | mid-ocean ridge | S EPR | -31.8500 | -112.0333 | 2330 | 1999 submersible Alvin; 1998 plume only |
| Don Joao de Castro Bank | active, confirmed | mid-ocean ridge | Terceira Rift | 38.2300 | -26.6300 | 45 | 1995 SCUBA |
| Alarcon Rise/Tamayo intersection | active, inferred | mid-ocean ridge | Gulf of California | 23.2336 | -108.6168 | 2358 | 2015 ROV Doc Ricketts did not confirm activity |
| SEIR-WXC22 | active, inferred | mid-ocean ridge | SEIR | -50.2500 | 132.1000 | 2950 | 2015 plume only |
| EPR, 1.4 S, off-axis | active, confirmed | mid-ocean ridge | S EPR | -1.3690 | -102.4560 | 3000 | 2008 towed video |
| Lost City | active, confirmed | mid-ocean ridge | N MAR | 30.1250 | -42.1183 | 800 | 2000 towed video ARGO-II and submersible Alvin |
| EPR, 9 30'N | active, confirmed | mid-ocean ridge | N EPR | 9.5167 | -104.2414 | 2580 | 1989 Argo I towed video |
| Ashadze-1 | active, confirmed | mid-ocean ridge | N MAR | 12.9733 | -44.8633 | 4200 | 2003 TV profiling; 2007 ROV Victor 6000 |
| EPR, 37 40'S Axial Dome | active, confirmed | mid-ocean ridge | Pacific-Antarctic Ridge | -37.6667 | -110.8667 | 2240 | 1997 video survey L'Atalante (do not know if activity confirmed); 1995 TV survey did not confirm activity; 2001 towed video and TV-grab definitely confirmed |
| Gakkel Ridge, Site 5 | active, inferred | mid-ocean ridge | Gakkel Ridge | 86.3500 | 37.0000 | 3600 | 2001 plume only |
| SWIR, D54 | active, inferred | mid-ocean ridge | SWIR | -52.4370 | 13.3120 | 4029 | 2000-2001 plume and dredge only |
| W Eye of Mordor | inactive | mid-ocean ridge | Galapagos Rift | 1.9707 | -91.3900 | 1600 | 2005 towed video Medea observed inactive chimneys |
| GEISEIR site 27, segment M5 | active, inferred | mid-ocean ridge | SEIR | -43.9805 | 93.4571 | 2700 | 2009 plume only |
| GEISEIR site 16, segment L3 | active, inferred | mid-ocean ridge | SEIR | -41.5883 | 87.2615 | 2500 | 2010 plume only |
| EPR, 13 N | active, confirmed | mid-ocean ridge | N EPR | 12.8333 | -103.9500 | 2630 | 1982 submersible Cyana; 1981 towed camera, dredging, and plume did not confirm activity |
| Landing Stage | active, inferred | mid-ocean ridge | SWIR | -37.5000 | 51.0000 | 2300 | 2014 leg 2 or 3 of the 30th Chinese Cruise |
| EPR, southern 16 N segment | active, inferred | mid-ocean ridge | N EPR | 15.5000 | -105.4000 | 2300 | 1997 plume only |
| EPR, 17 47'S | active, inferred | mid-ocean ridge | S EPR | -17.7900 | -113.3000 | 2600 | 1993 plume only |