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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Galapagos Rift, 95.5 W | active, inferred | mid-ocean ridge | Galapagos Rift | 2.6700 | -95.4500 | 3200 | 1990 submersible Alvin did not confirm activity |
| 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 |
| Floc | active, confirmed | mid-ocean ridge | JdF Ridge | 46.3133 | -129.7050 | 2290 | 1993 DEEPTOW and submersible Alvin |
| EPR, Seamount 5 | active, inferred | mid-ocean ridge | N EPR | 13.0000 | -103.5000 | 1100 | 1988 or earlier camera and/or submersible (need to check reference) |
| SWIR, Plume 6 | active, inferred | mid-ocean ridge | SWIR | -27.7670 | 65.1330 | 3200 | 1997 plume only |
| Aden New Century Mountains | active, inferred | mid-ocean ridge | Aden Ridge | 12.0833 | 45.6667 | 800 | 2000-2001 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) |
| Guaymas Basin, Northern Trough | inactive | mid-ocean ridge | Gulf of California | 27.3050 | -111.5067 | 2000 | 1977 submersible Seacliff (hydrothermal deposits only) |
| MAR, 23 S | active, inferred | mid-ocean ridge | S MAR | -23.7428 | -13.3936 | 2880 | 2013 plume only |
| 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) |
| Squid Forest | inactive | mid-ocean ridge | Kolbeinsey Ridge | 68.0000 | -17.5000 | 900 | 1999 ROV Aglantha |
| Gakkel Ridge, Site 3 | active, inferred | mid-ocean ridge | Gakkel Ridge | 84.4333 | 2.1333 | 4300 | 2001 plume only |
| 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 |
| Alarcon Rise, Meyibo | active, confirmed | mid-ocean ridge | Gulf of California | 23.3553 | -108.5443 | 2295 | 2012 ROV Doc Ricketts |
| EPR, 17 42'S | active, inferred | mid-ocean ridge | S EPR | -17.7000 | -113.2500 | 2600 | 1993 plume only |
| GEISEIR site 26, segment M4 | active, inferred | mid-ocean ridge | SEIR | -43.6901 | 92.8451 | 2500 | 2009 plume only |
| EPR, 14 18'S | active, inferred | mid-ocean ridge | S EPR | -14.3000 | -112.6670 | 2630 | 1993 plume only |
| Saldanha | active, confirmed | mid-ocean ridge | N MAR | 36.5667 | -33.4333 | 2300 | 1998 submersible Nautile |
| SEIR-WXC02 | active, inferred | mid-ocean ridge | SEIR | -50.2500 | 137.0000 | 2620 | 2015 plume only |
| EPR, 9 30'N | active, confirmed | mid-ocean ridge | N EPR | 9.5167 | -104.2414 | 2580 | 1989 Argo I towed video |
| SWIR, D54 | active, inferred | mid-ocean ridge | SWIR | -52.4370 | 13.3120 | 4029 | 2000-2001 plume and dredge only |
| GEISEIR site 14, segment L1 | active, inferred | mid-ocean ridge | SEIR | -41.0716 | 86.1550 | 2700 | 2010 plume only |
| CIR, 8-17 S, Segment 7 | active, inferred | mid-ocean ridge | CIR | -17.0000 | 66.8000 | 3100 | 2010 plume only |
| Axial Seamount, International District | active, confirmed | mid-ocean ridge | JdF Ridge | 45.9266 | -129.9795 | 1544 | 1986 submersible Pisces IV |
| EPR, 2 S, off-axis | active, inferred | mid-ocean ridge | S EPR | -2.0840 | -102.8270 | 3000 | 2008 plume only |
| GEISEIR site 37, segment O4 | active, inferred | mid-ocean ridge | SEIR | -47.7483 | 98.1756 | 2800 | 2009 plume only |
| MAR, 4 48'S | active, confirmed | mid-ocean ridge | S MAR | -4.8058 | -12.3742 | 3050 | 2005 AUV ABE (cruise CD169 ) followed by ROV Quest (cruise M64/1) |
| GEISEIR site 22, segment L3 | active, inferred | mid-ocean ridge | SEIR | -42.1130 | 88.0420 | 2400 | 1996 plume only; 2009 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 |
| AHA Field | active, confirmed | mid-ocean ridge | N EPR | 1.7333 | -102.2830 | 2850 | 2000 towed imaging ARGO-II |