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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Loki's Castle | active, confirmed | mid-ocean ridge | Mohns Ridge | 73.5500 | 8.1500 | 2400 | 2008 ROV Bathysaurus |
| EPR, 17 56'S | active, inferred | mid-ocean ridge | S EPR | -17.9400 | -113.3170 | 2620 | 1993 plume only |
| MAR, 28 S | active, inferred | mid-ocean ridge | S MAR | -27.7936 | -13.3730 | 3217 | 2013 plume only |
| Su Causeway | active, inferred | mid-ocean ridge | SWIR | -38.1000 | 48.6000 | 3000 | 2014 leg 2 or 3 of the 30th Chinese Cruise |
| EPR 87D1 Seamount | inactive | mid-ocean ridge | N EPR | 11.5333 | -103.8600 | 2090 | NotProvided |
| SWIR, D20 | active, inferred | mid-ocean ridge | SWIR | -53.0200 | 22.1880 | 4170 | 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 |
| 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 |
| Kolbeinsey Ridge, 69 N | active, inferred | mid-ocean ridge | Kolbeinsey Ridge | 68.7581 | -16.0000 | 1200 | 1980 or earlier sediments only |
| MAR, 16 46'N | inactive | mid-ocean ridge | N MAR | 16.7950 | -46.3800 | 3300 | NotProvided |
| EPR, 21 25'S | active, confirmed | mid-ocean ridge | S EPR | -21.4333 | -114.2917 | 2850 | 1984 submersible Cyana; 1983 deposits only |
| EPR, 23 50'S | active, confirmed | mid-ocean ridge | S EPR | -23.8233 | -115.4558 | 2650 | 2005 submersible Alvin; 1990 or earlier towed TV camera did not confirm activity |
| SEIR-WXC25 | active, inferred | mid-ocean ridge | SEIR | -50.2500 | 131.9000 | 3050 | 2015 plume only |
| 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 |
| Pescadero Basin, Auka | active, confirmed | mid-ocean ridge | Gulf of California | 23.9567 | -108.8618 | 3685 | 2015 ROV Doc Ricketts; 1990 or earlier plume only |
| Tiancheng | active, confirmed | mid-ocean ridge | SWIR | -27.9670 | 63.5500 | 3600 | 2014 HOV Jiaolong; 1997 plume only; 2009 DY115-20 Leg 7 plume and deposits; |
| Seven Sisters | active, inferred | mid-ocean ridge | Kolbeinsey Ridge | 71.1500 | -12.7900 | 2200 | 2012 plume only; 2013 ROV Aglantha (may have confirmed); 2013 plume only |
| EPR, 9 30'N | active, confirmed | mid-ocean ridge | N EPR | 9.5167 | -104.2414 | 2580 | 1989 Argo I towed video |
| Gorda Ridge, 41 30'N | inactive | mid-ocean ridge | Gorda Ridge | 41.5167 | -127.4500 | 3350 | 1984 deposits only |
| GEISEIR site 35, segment O3 | active, inferred | mid-ocean ridge | SEIR | -47.6179 | 97.8678 | 2600 | 2009 plume only |
| Axial Seamount, International District | active, confirmed | mid-ocean ridge | JdF Ridge | 45.9266 | -129.9795 | 1544 | 1986 submersible Pisces IV |
| MAR, 25 S | active, inferred | mid-ocean ridge | S MAR | -25.3350 | -13.6305 | 2570 | 2013 plume only |
| MAR, 8 10'S | active, inferred | mid-ocean ridge | S MAR | -8.1670 | -13.4670 | 2000 | 2001 plume only |
| NESCA | active, confirmed | mid-ocean ridge | Gorda Ridge | 41.0000 | -127.4917 | 3300 | 1988 submersible Alvin; 1986 dredge and photographs did not confirm activity |
| 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) |
| Eye of Mordor Seamount | active, inferred | mid-ocean ridge | Galapagos Rift | 1.9410 | -91.3100 | 1555 | 2005 plume only |
| Von Damm | active, confirmed | mid-ocean ridge | Mid-Cayman Rise | 18.3777 | -81.7972 | 2372 | 2010 AUV Autosub6000 and HyBIS TVG; 2009 plume only |
| GEISEIR site 11, segment K4 | active, inferred | mid-ocean ridge | SEIR | -42.5375 | 82.8266 | 2600 | 2010 plume only |
| EPR, 16 08'S | active, inferred | mid-ocean ridge | S EPR | -16.1300 | -113.0000 | 2640 | 1993 plume only |
| EPR, southern 16 N segment | active, inferred | mid-ocean ridge | N EPR | 15.5000 | -105.4000 | 2300 | 1997 plume only |