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 Settingsort ascending Region Latitude Longitude Maximum or Single Reported Depth Year and How Discovered
Menez Hom active, confirmed mid-ocean ridge N MAR 37.1500 -32.4333 1802 2002 ROV Victor 6000
Gakkel Ridge, Site 7 active, inferred mid-ocean ridge Gakkel Ridge 86.9833 55.5000 3800 2001 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;
Rainbow active, confirmed mid-ocean ridge N MAR 36.2300 -33.9020 2320 1997 submersible Nautile
EPR, 11 17'N active, confirmed mid-ocean ridge N EPR 11.2833 -103.7583 2560 1984 Angus camera (or 1985 Argo video) tow with temperature
GEISEIR site 26, segment M4 active, inferred mid-ocean ridge SEIR -43.6901 92.8451 2500 2009 plume only
GEISEIR site 11, segment K4 active, inferred mid-ocean ridge SEIR -42.5375 82.8266 2600 2010 plume only
CIR, 8-17 S, Segment 6, 14.75 S active, inferred mid-ocean ridge CIR -14.7500 66.5000 3400 2010 plume only
Salty Dawg Field active, confirmed mid-ocean ridge JdF Ridge 47.9822 -129.0756 2200 1995 submersible Alvin, followed by ROV ROPOS
MAR, 23 S active, inferred mid-ocean ridge S MAR -23.7428 -13.3936 2880 2013 plume only
EPR, 14 N seamount inactive mid-ocean ridge N EPR 14.1500 -104.3667 2600 NotProvided
EPR, 23 30'S active, confirmed mid-ocean ridge S EPR -23.5333 -115.5667 2600 1987 or earlier [need to check Marchig & Gundlach (1987)]; 2005 submersible Alvin
EPR, 17 12'S active, confirmed mid-ocean ridge S EPR -17.2000 -113.1500 2590 1993 submersible Nautile
Evan active, confirmed mid-ocean ridge N MAR 37.2667 -32.2833 1775 2006 submersible Nautile
Galapagos Rift, 95.5 W active, inferred mid-ocean ridge Galapagos Rift 2.6700 -95.4500 3200 1990 submersible Alvin did not confirm activity
GEISEIR site 7, segment K3 active, inferred mid-ocean ridge SEIR -41.8020 81.8380 2540 1996 plume only; 2010 plume only
Bubbylon active, confirmed mid-ocean ridge N MAR 37.8000 -31.5333 1000 2010 ROV MARUM-QUEST, same cruise as plume discovered by multibeam echosounder
EPR, 29.8 S, Segment E1 active, inferred mid-ocean ridge S EPR -29.8000 -111.7300 2580 1998 plume only
EPR, 9 40'N active, confirmed mid-ocean ridge N EPR 9.6500 -104.2600 2572 1989 Argo I towed video; 1991 submersible Alvin
W Eye of Mordor inactive mid-ocean ridge Galapagos Rift 1.9707 -91.3900 1600 2005 towed video Medea observed inactive chimneys
EPR, 18 32'S active, confirmed mid-ocean ridge S EPR -18.5550 -113.4160 2647 1993 submersible Nautile
CIR, 8-17 S, Segment 7 active, inferred mid-ocean ridge CIR -17.0000 66.8000 3100 2010 plume only
SWIR, D36 active, inferred mid-ocean ridge SWIR -52.7490 11.7110 3981 2000-2001 plume and dredge only
MAR, 24 30'N inactive mid-ocean ridge N MAR 24.5000 -46.1533 3900 1987 deposits only
GEISEIR site 37, segment O4 active, inferred mid-ocean ridge SEIR -47.7483 98.1756 2800 2009 plume only
Guaymas Basin, Northern Trough inactive mid-ocean ridge Gulf of California 27.3050 -111.5067 2000 1977 submersible Seacliff (hydrothermal deposits only)
Ashadze-2 active, confirmed mid-ocean ridge N MAR 12.9917 -44.9067 3300 2007 ROV Victor 6000; 2005 TV profiling, plume, and dredge did not confirm activity
Snake Pit active, confirmed mid-ocean ridge N MAR 23.3683 -44.9500 3500 1985 real-time TV and imaging sonar; earlier in 1985 seafloor photographs did not confirm activity
Alarcon Rise/Pescadero intersection active, inferred mid-ocean ridge Gulf of California 23.6423 -108.3948 2384 2015 ROV Doc Ricketts did not confirm activity
CIR, 8-17 S, Segment 4, 11.3 S active, inferred mid-ocean ridge CIR -11.3000 66.4000 3500 2010 plume only

Pages