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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bubbylon | active, confirmed | mid-ocean ridge | N MAR | 37.8000 | -31.5333 | 1000 | 2010 ROV MARUM-QUEST, same cruise as plume discovered by multibeam echosounder |
| Chile Triple Junction | active, inferred | mid-ocean ridge | Chile Rise | -46.3000 | -75.8000 | 3000 | 2010 plume only |
| Gorda Ridge, EP96B | active, inferred | mid-ocean ridge | Gorda Ridge | 42.5500 | -126.8333 | 3400 | 1984 deposits only; 1996 plume only |
| Pacific-Antarctic Ridge, 60 S segment | active, inferred | mid-ocean ridge | Pacific-Antarctic Ridge | -60.0000 | -152.0000 | 2300 | 2009 plume only |
| GEISEIR site 35, segment O3 | active, inferred | mid-ocean ridge | SEIR | -47.6179 | 97.8678 | 2600 | 2009 plume only |
| Nereus Deep | active, inferred | mid-ocean ridge | Red Sea | 23.1670 | 37.2830 | 2400 | 1972 deposits only |
| Medusa | active, confirmed | mid-ocean ridge | N EPR | 9.1404 | -104.2065 | 2580 | 2007 ROV Jason II; 1991 plume only |
| SEIR-WXC02 | active, inferred | mid-ocean ridge | SEIR | -50.2500 | 137.0000 | 2620 | 2015 plume only |
| Floc | active, confirmed | mid-ocean ridge | JdF Ridge | 46.3133 | -129.7050 | 2290 | 1993 DEEPTOW and submersible Alvin |
| Knipovich Ridge, 76 48'N | active, inferred | mid-ocean ridge | Knipovich Ridge | 76.7833 | 8.0000 | 3500 | 1996 temperature anomaly and towed video did not confirm activity |
| EPR, 21 40'S | active, inferred | mid-ocean ridge | S EPR | -21.6340 | -114.3010 | 2730 | 1987-1988 deposits only |
| EPR, 3.9 N offset | active, confirmed | mid-ocean ridge | N EPR | 3.9170 | -102.2330 | 2875 | 1989 or earlier Deep Tow photographs (cruise RIFTS or PAPATUA) |
| Red Sea Rift, 18 N | active, inferred | mid-ocean ridge | Red Sea | 17.9667 | 40.0667 | 1500 | 1980 submersible Pisces XI (deposits only) |
| EPR, 1.4 S, off-axis | active, confirmed | mid-ocean ridge | S EPR | -1.3690 | -102.4560 | 3000 | 2008 towed video |
| EPR, Manzanillo Spreading Segment | active, inferred | mid-ocean ridge | N EPR | 18.2500 | -106.3000 | 2600 | 1997 plume only |
| MAR, 4 02'S | active, inferred | mid-ocean ridge | S MAR | -4.0333 | -12.2500 | 4000 | 2005 plume only |
| Hess Deep | inactive | mid-ocean ridge | Galapagos Rift | 2.2500 | -101.5000 | 5100 | NotProvided |
| North Cleft, high temperature | active, confirmed | mid-ocean ridge | JdF Ridge | 44.9800 | -130.2000 | 2300 | 1987 camera/CTD tows discovered low-temperature vents; 1988 submersible Alvin sampled low-temperature vents; 1990 submersible Alvin discovered black smoker |
| SEIR | inactive | mid-ocean ridge | SEIR | -28.0614 | 74.1733 | 5000 | NotProvided |
| Gakkel Ridge, Site 3 | active, inferred | mid-ocean ridge | Gakkel Ridge | 84.4333 | 2.1333 | 4300 | 2001 plume only |
| E Los Huellos Caldera | active, inferred | mid-ocean ridge | Galapagos Rift | 0.9500 | -90.5300 | 1600 | 2005 plume only; 2005 towed video Medea did not confirm activity |
| CIR, 8-17 S, Segment 4, 11.3 S | active, inferred | mid-ocean ridge | CIR | -11.3000 | 66.4000 | 3500 | 2010 plume only |
| Irinovskoye | active, confirmed | mid-ocean ridge | N MAR | 13.3327 | -44.9099 | 3000 | 2013 ROV Victor6000; 2007 dredge only; 2009 or 2011 did not confirm |
| Alarcon Rise, Meyibo | active, confirmed | mid-ocean ridge | Gulf of California | 23.3553 | -108.5443 | 2295 | 2012 ROV Doc Ricketts |
| MAR, 22 30'N | inactive | mid-ocean ridge | N MAR | 22.5000 | -45.0050 | 2800 | NotProvided |
| MAR, 19 S | active, inferred | mid-ocean ridge | S MAR | -19.3301 | -11.9421 | 2707 | 2013 plume only |
| S AMAR 1 | active, inferred | mid-ocean ridge | N MAR | 36.0830 | -34.0830 | 2630 | 1992 plume only; 1994 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 |
| Logatchev-2 | active, confirmed | mid-ocean ridge | N MAR | 14.7200 | -44.9380 | 2760 | 2007 ROV VICTOR 6000; 1993-1994 TV grab and towed photo system did not confirm activity; 1996-1998 video imaging and sampling did not confirm activity |
| Ashadze-1 | active, confirmed | mid-ocean ridge | N MAR | 12.9733 | -44.8633 | 4200 | 2003 TV profiling; 2007 ROV Victor 6000 |