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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MAR, 15 50'N | inactive | mid-ocean ridge | N MAR | 15.8667 | -46.6667 | 3000 | NotProvided |
| Navidad | active, confirmed | mid-ocean ridge | Galapagos Rift | 2.5300 | -94.0750 | 2380 | 2005 towed video Medea |
| Discovery Deep | active, inferred | mid-ocean ridge | Red Sea | 21.2830 | 38.0500 | 2100 | 1965 "confirmed" hot brine and cored seafloor, but see Table 1 in Miller et al. (1966) for historical measurements |
| Von Damm | active, confirmed | mid-ocean ridge | Mid-Cayman Rise | 18.3777 | -81.7972 | 2372 | 2010 AUV Autosub6000 and HyBIS TVG; 2009 plume only |
| EPR, 21 40'S | active, inferred | mid-ocean ridge | S EPR | -21.6340 | -114.3010 | 2730 | 1987-1988 deposits only |
| Magic Mountain | active, confirmed | mid-ocean ridge | Explorer Ridge | 49.7500 | -130.2667 | 1850 | 1984 submersible Pisces IV |
| N Oceanographer | active, inferred | mid-ocean ridge | N MAR | 35.2830 | -34.8670 | 2600 | 1992 plume only |
| Rose Garden | active, confirmed | mid-ocean ridge | Galapagos Rift | 0.8058 | -86.2267 | 2550 | 1977 submersible Alvin; 1976 plume and photographs of clam shells did not confirm activity (note: Rose Garden is used here as the name of the vent field, but Rose Garden vent site itself not discovered until 1979) |
| Mohns Ridge, 72.8 N | active, inferred | mid-ocean ridge | Mohns Ridge | 72.8060 | 4.1650 | 2300 | 2013 plume only |
| Explorer Deep | inactive | mid-ocean ridge | Explorer Ridge | 50.1000 | -129.7500 | 3200 | 1969, deposits only |
| Squid Forest | inactive | mid-ocean ridge | Kolbeinsey Ridge | 68.0000 | -17.5000 | 900 | 1999 ROV Aglantha |
| EPR, 1.4 S, off-axis | active, confirmed | mid-ocean ridge | S EPR | -1.3690 | -102.4560 | 3000 | 2008 towed video |
| EPR/Tamayo intersection | active, inferred | mid-ocean ridge | N EPR | 22.9333 | -108.0667 | 3200 | 1979 submersible Alvin did not confirm activity |
| MAR, 7 57'S | active, inferred | mid-ocean ridge | S MAR | -7.9500 | -13.4420 | 2600 | 2001 plume only |
| MAR, 27 S | active, inferred | mid-ocean ridge | S MAR | -27.1476 | -13.4753 | 3341 | 2013 plume only |
| GEISEIR site 22, segment L3 | active, inferred | mid-ocean ridge | SEIR | -42.1130 | 88.0420 | 2400 | 1996 plume only; 2009 plume only |
| EPR, 28.3 S, Segment W3 | active, inferred | mid-ocean ridge | S EPR | -28.3000 | -112.9830 | 2220 | 1998 plume only |
| Saldanha | active, confirmed | mid-ocean ridge | N MAR | 36.5667 | -33.4333 | 2300 | 1998 submersible Nautile |
| Kolbeinsey Field | active, confirmed | mid-ocean ridge | Kolbeinsey Ridge | 67.0833 | -18.7167 | 110 | 1988 submersible GEO |
| SWIR, D54 | active, inferred | mid-ocean ridge | SWIR | -52.4370 | 13.3120 | 4029 | 2000-2001 plume and dredge only |
| EPR, 16 24'S | active, inferred | mid-ocean ridge | S EPR | -16.4000 | -113.0500 | 2640 | 1993 plume only |
| Menez Hom | active, confirmed | mid-ocean ridge | N MAR | 37.1500 | -32.4333 | 1802 | 2002 ROV Victor 6000 |
| GEISEIR site 25, segment M4 | active, inferred | mid-ocean ridge | SEIR | -43.3115 | 92.1335 | 2700 | 2009 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 |
| GEISEIR site 14, segment L1 | active, inferred | mid-ocean ridge | SEIR | -41.0716 | 86.1550 | 2700 | 2010 plume only |
| Not Dead Yet | active, confirmed | mid-ocean ridge | JdF Ridge | 46.6899 | -129.3772 | 2419 | 2007 ROV Jason II; 1991 camera tow did not confirm activity |
| EPR, 9 47'N | active, confirmed | mid-ocean ridge | N EPR | 9.7750 | -104.2802 | 2560 | 1989 Argo I towed video; 1991 submersible Alvin |
| Wagner Basin | active, inferred | mid-ocean ridge | Gulf of California | 31.0666 | -114.0833 | 120 | 2007 echosounder and grab samples |
| EPR, 37 48'S Axial Dome | active, confirmed | mid-ocean ridge | Pacific-Antarctic Ridge | -37.8000 | -110.9167 | 2200 | 2001 towed video and TV-grab |
| Teotihuacan | active, confirmed | mid-ocean ridge | N EPR | 15.7333 | -105.4333 | 2300 | 2010 submersible Nautile; 1997 plume only |