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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Macdonald Seamount | active, confirmed | intra-plate volcano | Central Pacific | -28.9833 | -140.2500 | 150 | 1989 submersible Cyana |
| Hawaiian Ridge | inactive | intra-plate volcano | Central Pacific | 15.0000 | -157.5000 | 5000 | 1987 or earlier |
| El Hierro, Tagoro | active, confirmed | intra-plate volcano | 27.6200 | -17.9900 | 350 | 2016 submersible JAGO, 2017 ROV Liropus 2000, 2011 water column sampling | |
| Bounty Seamount | active, confirmed | intra-plate volcano | Central Pacific | -25.1667 | -129.4000 | 420 | 1999 submersible Nautile; 1989 plume only |
| Teahitia seamount | active, confirmed | intra-plate volcano | Central Pacific | -17.5670 | -148.8167 | 1460 | 1983 submersible Cyana |
| Loihi Seamount | active, confirmed | intra-plate volcano | Central Pacific | 18.9500 | -155.2500 | 4800 | 1985 bottom photography R/V Hakuho Maru; 1987 submersible Alvin |
| Gakkel Ridge, Site 3 | active, inferred | mid-ocean ridge | Gakkel Ridge | 84.4333 | 2.1333 | 4300 | 2001 plume only |
| Carlsberg Ridge, 1.67 S | inactive | mid-ocean ridge | Carlsberg Ridge | -1.6768 | 67.7700 | 4500 | NotProvided |
| Krasnov | inactive | mid-ocean ridge | N MAR | 16.6400 | -46.4750 | 3900 | 2002 or earlier plume only; 2004 TV grab indicated inactive; 2007 ROV Victor indicated inactive |
| MAR, 23 S | active, inferred | mid-ocean ridge | S MAR | -23.7428 | -13.3936 | 2880 | 2013 plume only |
| GEISEIR site 10, segment K4 | active, inferred | mid-ocean ridge | SEIR | -42.4770 | 82.7100 | 2500 | 1996 plume only; 2010 plume only |
| 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 |
| SWIR, unnamed, Segment 26 | active, inferred | mid-ocean ridge | SWIR | -37.6080 | 50.8527 | 2800 | 2008 dredge only DY115-20 Leg 6 |
| EPR, 8 38'N | active, confirmed | mid-ocean ridge | N EPR | 8.6333 | -104.2000 | 2550 | 2003 submersible Alvin; 1989 dredge only; 2002 plume only |
| Aden | active, confirmed | mid-ocean ridge | Aden Ridge | 11.9500 | 43.6667 | 1600 | 1984 submersible Cyana |
| SWIR, D57 | active, inferred | mid-ocean ridge | SWIR | -52.2240 | 13.7380 | 3517 | 2000-2001 plume and dredge only |
| MESO Zone | inactive | mid-ocean ridge | CIR | -23.3927 | 69.2422 | 2850 | 1993 TV grab and water column measurements |
| 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) |
| GEISEIR site 26, segment M4 | active, inferred | mid-ocean ridge | SEIR | -43.6901 | 92.8451 | 2500 | 2009 plume only |
| Galapagos Rift, 95 W | inactive | mid-ocean ridge | Galapagos Rift | 2.5000 | -95.1667 | 2600 | NotProvided |
| GEISEIR site 15, segment L1 | active, inferred | mid-ocean ridge | SEIR | -41.2230 | 86.3892 | 2500 | 2010 plume only |
| EPR, 17 44'S | active, confirmed | mid-ocean ridge | S EPR | -17.7330 | -113.2660 | 2622 | 1998 submersible Alvin; 1993 plume only; not explored by Nautile in 1993 or Shinkai 6500 in 1994 |
| Lucky Strike | active, confirmed | mid-ocean ridge | N MAR | 37.2933 | -32.2733 | 1740 | 1993 submersible Alvin; 1992 dredge and 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 |
| Tevnia | active, inferred | mid-ocean ridge | N EPR | 10.3333 | -103.5533 | 2925 | 1994 submersible Alvin did not confirm activity |
| EPR, Ridge 1, 20 40'S | active, confirmed | mid-ocean ridge | S EPR | -20.8333 | -114.1667 | 3000 | 1983 Deep Tow camera |
| CIR, 8-17 S, Segment 7 | active, inferred | mid-ocean ridge | CIR | -17.0000 | 66.8000 | 3100 | 2010 plume only |
| Rainbow Bay | active, inferred | mid-ocean ridge | S MAR | -14.0300 | -14.3400 | 2900 | 2009 towed video did not confirm activity |
| GEISEIR site 37, segment O4 | active, inferred | mid-ocean ridge | SEIR | -47.7483 | 98.1756 | 2800 | 2009 plume only |
| Rainbow | active, confirmed | mid-ocean ridge | N MAR | 36.2300 | -33.9020 | 2320 | 1997 submersible Nautile |