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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Loihi Seamount | active, confirmed | intra-plate volcano | Central Pacific | 18.9500 | -155.2500 | 4800 | 1985 bottom photography R/V Hakuho Maru; 1987 submersible Alvin |
| Hawaiian Ridge | inactive | intra-plate volcano | Central Pacific | 15.0000 | -157.5000 | 5000 | 1987 or earlier |
| Espalamaca | active, confirmed | intra-plate volcano | 38.5500 | -28.6000 | 50 | 2010 or earlier likely SCUBA | |
| El Hierro, Tagoro | active, confirmed | intra-plate volcano | 27.6200 | -17.9900 | 350 | 2016 submersible JAGO, 2017 ROV Liropus 2000, 2011 water column sampling | |
| Vailulu'u Seamount | active, confirmed | intra-plate volcano | Central Pacific | -14.2167 | -169.0667 | 1000 | 2005 submersible Pisces V; 2000 plume only |
| Teahitia seamount | active, confirmed | intra-plate volcano | Central Pacific | -17.5670 | -148.8167 | 1460 | 1983 submersible Cyana |
| W Los Huellos Caldera | active, inferred | mid-ocean ridge | Galapagos Rift | 1.0000 | -90.6000 | 1600 | 2005 plume only |
| EPR, 14 N seamount | inactive | mid-ocean ridge | N EPR | 14.1500 | -104.3667 | 2600 | NotProvided |
| SWIR, D50B | active, inferred | mid-ocean ridge | SWIR | -52.4200 | 12.7480 | 3913 | 2000-2001 plume and dredge only |
| GEISEIR site 24, segment M3 | active, inferred | mid-ocean ridge | SEIR | -43.0369 | 91.0357 | 2400 | 2009 plume only |
| Guaymas Basin, Northern Trough_2 | active, confirmed | mid-ocean ridge | Gulf of California | 27.4110 | -111.3879 | 1800 | 2015 ROV Hybis |
| EPR, Ridge 3, 20 40'S | active, confirmed | mid-ocean ridge | S EPR | -20.3333 | -113.6792 | 3050 | 1983 Deep Tow camera |
| GEISEIR site 13, segment L1 | active, inferred | mid-ocean ridge | SEIR | -41.0125 | 86.0608 | 2800 | 2010 plume only |
| EPR, 21 N | active, confirmed | mid-ocean ridge | N EPR | 20.8333 | -109.0833 | 2600 | 1979 submersible Alvin; 1978 submersible Cyana discovered mineral deposits 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) |
| Guaymas Basin, Northern Trough | inactive | mid-ocean ridge | Gulf of California | 27.3050 | -111.5067 | 2000 | 1977 submersible Seacliff (hydrothermal deposits only) |
| MAR, 28 S | active, inferred | mid-ocean ridge | S MAR | -27.7936 | -13.3730 | 3217 | 2013 plume only |
| SEIR | inactive | mid-ocean ridge | SEIR | -28.0614 | 74.1733 | 5000 | NotProvided |
| Ashadze-4 | inactive | mid-ocean ridge | N MAR | 12.9700 | -44.8500 | 4530 | 2007 ROV VICTOR 6000 did not find hydrothermal activity |
| Puy des Folles | active, inferred | mid-ocean ridge | N MAR | 20.5083 | -45.6417 | 2000 | 1996 submersible Nautile observed only inactive vents |
| SWIR, Plume 6 | active, inferred | mid-ocean ridge | SWIR | -27.7670 | 65.1330 | 3200 | 1997 plume only |
| MAR, 14 54'N | active, inferred | mid-ocean ridge | N MAR | 14.9200 | -44.9000 | 3500 | 1988 or earlier seafloor photographs did not confirm hydrothermal activity |
| MAR, 24 30'N | inactive | mid-ocean ridge | N MAR | 24.5000 | -46.1533 | 3900 | 1987 deposits only |
| GEISEIR site 35, segment O3 | active, inferred | mid-ocean ridge | SEIR | -47.6179 | 97.8678 | 2600 | 2009 plume only |
| 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 |
| Aden New Century Mountains | active, inferred | mid-ocean ridge | Aden Ridge | 12.0833 | 45.6667 | 800 | 2000-2001 plume only |
| EPR, 28.7 S, Segment W4 | active, inferred | mid-ocean ridge | S EPR | -28.7000 | -112.9880 | 2350 | 1998 plume only |
| MAR, segment south of St. Paul system | active, inferred | mid-ocean ridge | N MAR | 0.5000 | -25.0000 | 3500 | 2013 plume only |
| Beebe | active, confirmed | mid-ocean ridge | Mid-Cayman Rise | 18.5466 | -81.7182 | 4957 | 2010 AUV Autosub6000 and HyBIS TVG; 2009 plume only |
| Gakkel Ridge, Site 6 | active, inferred | mid-ocean ridge | Gakkel Ridge | 86.5333 | 43.0000 | 3000 | 2001 plume only |