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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Guaymas Basin, Southern Trough | active, confirmed | mid-ocean ridge | Gulf of California | 27.0148 | -111.4109 | 2000 | 1982 submersible Alvin; 1980 DeepTow CTD and dredging |
| EPR, Ridge 1, 20 40'S | active, confirmed | mid-ocean ridge | S EPR | -20.8333 | -114.1667 | 3000 | 1983 Deep Tow camera |
| Pobeda-1 | active, inferred | mid-ocean ridge | N MAR | 17.1500 | -46.4200 | 3100 | 2014/2015 video profiling, TVgrab and corer |
| CIR, 8-17 S, Segment 3 | active, inferred | mid-ocean ridge | CIR | -10.6600 | 66.5000 | 3500 | 2010 plume only |
| 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 |
| Area EX/FX | active, inferred | mid-ocean ridge | CIR | -21.4000 | 68.7666 | 3300 | 1986 plume and sediments |
| EPR, 15 24'S | active, inferred | mid-ocean ridge | S EPR | -15.4000 | -112.8350 | 2640 | 1993 plume only |
| EPR, 18 26'S | active, confirmed | mid-ocean ridge | S EPR | -18.4333 | -113.3833 | 2650 | 1993 submersible Nautile; 1983 seafloor photos, temperature anomalies, and deposits did not confirm activity; 1984 submersible Cyana observed only inactive sites; 1985/86 or 1989 TV grab (need to check references to confirm activity) |
| Markov Deep | active, inferred | mid-ocean ridge | N MAR | 5.9100 | -33.1800 | 3500 | 2001-2002 and 2003 dredge only |
| Uka Pacha | active, confirmed | mid-ocean ridge | Galapagos Rift | 0.7700 | -88.3000 | 2100 | 2011 ROV Little Hercules |
| GEISEIR site 8, segment K3 | active, inferred | mid-ocean ridge | SEIR | -41.8833 | 81.9816 | 2800 | 2010 plume only |
| EPR, 28 S, Segment W3 | active, inferred | mid-ocean ridge | S EPR | -28.0170 | -112.9040 | 2130 | 1998 plume only |
| 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 |
| Salty Dawg Field | active, confirmed | mid-ocean ridge | JdF Ridge | 47.9822 | -129.0756 | 2200 | 1995 submersible Alvin, followed by ROV ROPOS |
| Owen transform fault | inactive | mid-ocean ridge | Carlsberg Ridge | 9.8333 | 57.9500 | 4500 | NotProvided |
| Neptune's Beard | active, inferred | mid-ocean ridge | N MAR | 12.9100 | -44.9000 | 4100 | 1984 plume only; 2000 TV survey did not confirm activity |
| Guaymas Basin, Northern Trough_2 | active, confirmed | mid-ocean ridge | Gulf of California | 27.4110 | -111.3879 | 1800 | 2015 ROV Hybis |
| CIR, 19 29'S | active, inferred | mid-ocean ridge | CIR | -19.4830 | 65.7330 | 2700 | 1988 plume only; 2000 submersible Nautile did not confirm activity |
| Kairei Field | active, confirmed | mid-ocean ridge | CIR | -25.3195 | 70.0400 | 2460 | 2000 ROV Kaiko; 1993 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 |
| MAR, 4 02'S | active, inferred | mid-ocean ridge | S MAR | -4.0333 | -12.2500 | 4000 | 2005 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 |
| GEISEIR site 20, segment L3 | active, inferred | mid-ocean ridge | SEIR | -41.9508 | 87.8008 | 2400 | 2010 plume only |
| E Eye of Mordor | inactive | mid-ocean ridge | Galapagos Rift | 1.9058 | -91.2310 | 1600 | 2005 towed video Medea found inactive chimneys |
| 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 |
| GEISEIR site 7, segment K3 | active, inferred | mid-ocean ridge | SEIR | -41.8020 | 81.8380 | 2540 | 1996 plume only; 2010 plume only |
| Rapa Nui | active, confirmed | mid-ocean ridge | S EPR | -21.5620 | -114.3000 | 2845 | 1999 submersible Alvin; 1987-1988 deposits only |
| W Eye of Mordor | inactive | mid-ocean ridge | Galapagos Rift | 1.9707 | -91.3900 | 1600 | 2005 towed video Medea observed inactive chimneys |
| Nolan's Nook | active, confirmed | mid-ocean ridge | S EPR | -31.1500 | -111.9167 | 2330 | 1999 submersible Alvin; 1998 plume only |
| Jade Emperor Mountain | inactive | mid-ocean ridge | SWIR | -37.9400 | 49.2600 | 1500 | 2010 video sled, plume survey, and geological sampling all suggest inactive |