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 Discoveredsort descending
Aden active, confirmed mid-ocean ridge Aden Ridge 11.9500 43.6667 1600 1984 submersible Cyana
EPR, 13 N, Marginal High active, confirmed mid-ocean ridge N EPR 12.7090 -103.9160 2650 1984 submersible Cyana; 1981 towed camera, dredging, and plume did not confirm activity
EPR, 21 25'S active, confirmed mid-ocean ridge S EPR -21.4333 -114.2917 2850 1984 submersible Cyana; 1983 deposits only
Magic Mountain active, confirmed mid-ocean ridge Explorer Ridge 49.7500 -130.2667 1850 1984 submersible Pisces IV
Feather Duster active, confirmed mid-ocean ridge N EPR 10.9267 -103.6767 2520 1984 towed camera and submersible Alvin
EPR, 10 44.6'N active, confirmed mid-ocean ridge N EPR 10.7433 -103.6500 2580 1985 Argo video tow with temperature
Loihi Seamount active, confirmed intra-plate volcano Central Pacific 18.9500 -155.2500 4800 1985 bottom photography R/V Hakuho Maru; 1987 submersible Alvin
Gorda Ridge, GR-15 active, inferred mid-ocean ridge Gorda Ridge 42.9500 -126.5500 3365 1985 plume only
Station 58, N160 Axis active, inferred back-arc spreading center North Fiji Basin -16.3167 173.5500 3900 1985 plume only; 1991 temperature anomalies but submersible Shinkai 6500 did not confirm activity
Snake Pit active, confirmed mid-ocean ridge N MAR 23.3683 -44.9500 3500 1985 real-time TV and imaging sonar; earlier in 1985 seafloor photographs did not confirm activity
Kraternaya Bight, Ushishir Volcano active, confirmed arc volcano Kuril Arc 47.5167 152.8000 60 1985 SCUBA
TAG active, confirmed mid-ocean ridge N MAR 26.1367 -44.8267 3670 1985 towed camera and temperature anomaly; 1986 submersible Alvin
EPR, 7 S active, inferred mid-ocean ridge S EPR -7.0000 -107.5500 2600 1985/86 or 1989 TV grab
EPR, 16 43'S active, inferred mid-ocean ridge S EPR -16.7170 -113.0680 2600 1985/86 or 1989 TV grab (need to check references to confirm activity)
EPR, 22 30'S active, inferred mid-ocean ridge S EPR -22.5000 -114.3670 2600 1985/86 or 1989 TV grab (need to check references to confirm activity)
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)
EPR, 15 S active, inferred mid-ocean ridge S EPR -15.0000 -112.7700 2640 1985/86 or 1989 TV grab (need to check references to confirm activity); 1993 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, 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, 7 25'S active, confirmed mid-ocean ridge S EPR -7.4167 -107.8000 2750 1985/86 or 1989 TV grab (need to check references to confirm activity); 1998 submersible Alvin
MAR, 43 N active, inferred mid-ocean ridge N MAR 43.0000 -29.0000 3400 1986 or earlier plume only
Isafjardardjup bay active, confirmed 66.0500 -22.6500 3 1986 or earlier, likely from shore or by SCUBA
Ribeira Quente active, confirmed mid-ocean ridge Terceira Rift 37.7250 -25.3160 10 1986 or earlier, likely from shore or by SCUBA
MTJ, PAPATUA active, inferred back-arc spreading center Lau Basin -15.3850 -174.6430 2170 1986 PAPATUA Expedition deposits only; 2008 plume only
Area EX/FX active, inferred mid-ocean ridge CIR -21.4000 68.7666 3300 1986 plume and sediments
Area JX active, inferred mid-ocean ridge CIR -22.9666 69.1833 3500 1986 plume only (camera tow did not confirm)
Woodlark Basin, Segment 5B active, inferred back-arc spreading center Woodlark Basin -9.2540 156.1910 3550 1986 plume only; 2000 plume only
SESCA active, inferred mid-ocean ridge Gorda Ridge 40.7500 -127.5200 3300 1986 sediments and heat-flow measurements
Axial Seamount, International District active, confirmed mid-ocean ridge JdF Ridge 45.9266 -129.9795 1544 1986 submersible Pisces IV
Natsushima 84-1 Knoll active, confirmed back-arc spreading center Okinawa Trough 27.5750 127.1417 1600 1986 submersible Shinkai 2000

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