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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| W Los Huellos Caldera | active, inferred | mid-ocean ridge | Galapagos Rift | 1.0000 | -90.6000 | 1600 | 2005 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 |
| 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 |
| Stockwork | active, inferred | mid-ocean ridge | JdF Ridge | 47.9000 | -129.1240 | 2300 | 2005 submersible Alvin (need publication to determine if confirmed) |
| S AMAR 1 | active, inferred | mid-ocean ridge | N MAR | 36.0830 | -34.0830 | 2630 | 1992 plume only; 1994 plume only |
| EPR, 21 54'S | active, inferred | mid-ocean ridge | S EPR | -21.9000 | -114.5000 | 2800 | 1987-1988 deposits only [need to check Fouquet et al. (1993) for confirmation] |
| MAR, 27 N | active, inferred | mid-ocean ridge | N MAR | 27.0000 | -44.5000 | 2900 | 1993 plume only |
| Nereus Deep | active, inferred | mid-ocean ridge | Red Sea | 23.1670 | 37.2830 | 2400 | 1972 deposits only |
| MAR, 17 S | active, inferred | mid-ocean ridge | S MAR | -17.2522 | -14.2270 | 3280 | 2013 plume only |
| Rainbow Bay | active, inferred | mid-ocean ridge | S MAR | -14.0300 | -14.3400 | 2900 | 2009 towed video did not confirm activity |
| Logatchev-4 | inactive | mid-ocean ridge | N MAR | 14.7063 | -44.9083 | 2000 | 2004 TV sled observed inactive field [ROV QUEST was also on this cruise, but Kuhn et al. (2004) do not report its use at Logatchev-4] |
| Alarcon Rise, Tzab-ek | active, confirmed | mid-ocean ridge | Gulf of California | 23.3526 | -108.5597 | 2249 | 2015 ROV Doc Ricketts |
| GEISEIR site 2, segment J4 | active, inferred | mid-ocean ridge | SEIR | -41.2520 | 79.1030 | 2800 | 1996 plume and dredge only |
| Su Causeway | active, inferred | mid-ocean ridge | SWIR | -38.1000 | 48.6000 | 3000 | 2014 leg 2 or 3 of the 30th Chinese Cruise |
| Middle Valley, Bent Hill Massive Sulfide | active, confirmed | mid-ocean ridge | JdF Ridge | 48.4341 | -128.6812 | 2440 | 1990 HOV Alvin, 1985 deposits only |
| Owen transform fault | inactive | mid-ocean ridge | Carlsberg Ridge | 9.8333 | 57.9500 | 4500 | NotProvided |
| SWIR, unnamed, Segment 26 | active, inferred | mid-ocean ridge | SWIR | -37.6080 | 50.8527 | 2800 | 2008 dredge only DY115-20 Leg 6 |
| Markov Deep | active, inferred | mid-ocean ridge | N MAR | 5.9100 | -33.1800 | 3500 | 2001-2002 and 2003 dredge only |
| 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 |
| EPR, 28 S, Segment W3 | active, inferred | mid-ocean ridge | S EPR | -28.0170 | -112.9040 | 2130 | 1998 plume only |
| Gakkel Ridge, Site 6 | active, inferred | mid-ocean ridge | Gakkel Ridge | 86.5333 | 43.0000 | 3000 | 2001 plume only |
| Magic Mountain | active, confirmed | mid-ocean ridge | Explorer Ridge | 49.7500 | -130.2667 | 1850 | 1984 submersible Pisces IV |
| GEISEIR site 26, segment M4 | active, inferred | mid-ocean ridge | SEIR | -43.6901 | 92.8451 | 2500 | 2009 plume only |
| EPR, 16 35'S | active, inferred | mid-ocean ridge | S EPR | -16.5830 | -113.0600 | 2650 | 1993 plume only; 1998 submersible Alvin did not confirm activity |
| Edmond Field | active, confirmed | mid-ocean ridge | CIR | -23.8780 | 69.5960 | 3320 | 2001 ROV Jason |
| GEISEIR site 15, segment L1 | active, inferred | mid-ocean ridge | SEIR | -41.2230 | 86.3892 | 2500 | 2010 plume only |
| SWIR, D50B | active, inferred | mid-ocean ridge | SWIR | -52.4200 | 12.7480 | 3913 | 2000-2001 plume and dredge only |
| EPR, northern 17 N segment | active, inferred | mid-ocean ridge | N EPR | 17.6700 | -105.0050 | 2800 | 1997 plume only |
| SEIR-WXC25 | active, inferred | mid-ocean ridge | SEIR | -50.2500 | 131.9000 | 3050 | 2015 plume only |
| Mothra Field | active, confirmed | mid-ocean ridge | JdF Ridge | 47.9233 | -129.1082 | 2270 | 1996 ROV ROPOS; 1986 plume only |