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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MAR, 24 20'N | inactive | mid-ocean ridge | N MAR | 24.3500 | -46.2000 | 3200 | NotProvided |
| GEISEIR site 38, segment O4 | active, inferred | mid-ocean ridge | SEIR | -48.0048 | 98.8232 | 2800 | 2009 plume only |
| Kolbeinsey Ridge, 69 N | active, inferred | mid-ocean ridge | Kolbeinsey Ridge | 68.7581 | -16.0000 | 1200 | 1980 or earlier sediments only |
| MAR, 31 S | active, inferred | mid-ocean ridge | S MAR | -31.7377 | -13.3772 | 3050 | 2013 plume only |
| AAR KR1, Mujin | active, inferred | mid-ocean ridge | SEIR | -62.1000 | 158.8000 | 2100 | 2011 plume and biological samples |
| EPR, 27.7 S, Segment W3 | active, inferred | mid-ocean ridge | S EPR | -27.7000 | -112.9170 | 2105 | 1998 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) |
| Feather Duster | active, confirmed | mid-ocean ridge | N EPR | 10.9267 | -103.6767 | 2520 | 1984 towed camera and submersible Alvin |
| Salty Dawg Field | active, confirmed | mid-ocean ridge | JdF Ridge | 47.9822 | -129.0756 | 2200 | 1995 submersible Alvin, followed by ROV ROPOS |
| Broken Spur | active, confirmed | mid-ocean ridge | N MAR | 29.1700 | -43.1717 | 3100 | 1993 submersible Alvin; earlier in 1993, water column anomalies and towed camera did not confirm activity |
| Discovery Deep | active, inferred | mid-ocean ridge | Red Sea | 21.2830 | 38.0500 | 2100 | 1965 "confirmed" hot brine and cored seafloor, but see Table 1 in Miller et al. (1966) for historical measurements |
| MAR, 23 S | active, inferred | mid-ocean ridge | S MAR | -23.7428 | -13.3936 | 2880 | 2013 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 87D1 Seamount | inactive | mid-ocean ridge | N EPR | 11.5333 | -103.8600 | 2090 | NotProvided |
| Europa | active, inferred | mid-ocean ridge | Mid-Cayman Rise | 18.3500 | -81.8500 | 2400 | 2009 plume only, not observed on dive with hybrid ROV Nereus |
| EPR, 2 S | active, confirmed | mid-ocean ridge | S EPR | -2.2200 | -102.6550 | 2900 | 2008 towed video and AUV ABE |
| Guaymas Basin, Northern Trough | inactive | mid-ocean ridge | Gulf of California | 27.3050 | -111.5067 | 2000 | 1977 submersible Seacliff (hydrothermal deposits only) |
| EPR, 8 53'N | active, inferred | mid-ocean ridge | N EPR | 8.9000 | -104.2000 | 2580 | 1991 plume only |
| AMAR | active, inferred | mid-ocean ridge | N MAR | 36.3833 | -33.6500 | 2600 | 1992 plume only; 1994 plume only |
| EPR, 30.8 S, Segment E2 | active, inferred | mid-ocean ridge | S EPR | -30.7500 | -111.8770 | 2360 | 1998 plume only |
| Saldanha | active, confirmed | mid-ocean ridge | N MAR | 36.5667 | -33.4333 | 2300 | 1998 submersible Nautile |
| Gakkel Ridge, Site 2 | active, inferred | mid-ocean ridge | Gakkel Ridge | 83.8500 | -2.0000 | 3900 | 2001 plume only |
| GEISEIR site 7, segment K3 | active, inferred | mid-ocean ridge | SEIR | -41.8020 | 81.8380 | 2540 | 1996 plume only; 2010 plume only |
| SEIR-WXC02 | active, inferred | mid-ocean ridge | SEIR | -50.2500 | 137.0000 | 2620 | 2015 plume only |
| Ringvent | active, confirmed | mid-ocean ridge | Gulf of California | 27.5083 | -111.6792 | 1740 | 2016 submersible Alvin; 2009 towed camera/CTD/bottles |
| SWIR, D9B | active, inferred | mid-ocean ridge | SWIR | -52.7070 | 18.8170 | 3931 | 2000-2001 plume and dredge only |
| EPR, 11 42'N | active, confirmed | mid-ocean ridge | N EPR | 11.7000 | -103.8500 | 2580 | 1984 Angus camera (or 1985 Argo video) tow with temperature |
| Not Dead Yet | active, confirmed | mid-ocean ridge | JdF Ridge | 46.6899 | -129.3772 | 2419 | 2007 ROV Jason II; 1991 camera tow did not confirm activity |
| CIR, 8-17 S, Segment 7 | active, inferred | mid-ocean ridge | CIR | -17.0000 | 66.8000 | 3100 | 2010 plume only |
| Walsh | active, inferred | mid-ocean ridge | Mid-Cayman Rise | 17.8333 | -81.8333 | 4000 | 2009 plume only; 2013 plume only |