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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Broken Spur | active, confirmed | mid-ocean ridge | N MAR | 29.1700 | -43.1717 | 3100 | 1993 submersible Alvin; earlier in 1993, water column anomalies and towed camera did not confirm activity |
| 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 |
| Krasnov | inactive | mid-ocean ridge | N MAR | 16.6400 | -46.4750 | 3900 | 2002 or earlier plume only; 2004 TV grab indicated inactive; 2007 ROV Victor indicated inactive |
| Markov Deep | active, inferred | mid-ocean ridge | N MAR | 5.9100 | -33.1800 | 3500 | 2001-2002 and 2003 dredge only |
| Shaban Deep | active, inferred | mid-ocean ridge | Red Sea | 26.2250 | 35.3500 | 1540 | 1983 deposits only |
| Mohns Ridge, 72.8 N | active, inferred | mid-ocean ridge | Mohns Ridge | 72.8060 | 4.1650 | 2300 | 2013 plume only |
| EPR, Ridge 3, 20 40'S | active, confirmed | mid-ocean ridge | S EPR | -20.3333 | -113.6792 | 3050 | 1983 Deep Tow camera |
| SWIR, Plume 5 | active, inferred | mid-ocean ridge | SWIR | -27.9170 | 64.4500 | 4000 | 1997 plume only |
| Aden | active, confirmed | mid-ocean ridge | Aden Ridge | 11.9500 | 43.6667 | 1600 | 1984 submersible Cyana |
| EPR, 10 34'S | active, inferred | mid-ocean ridge | S EPR | -10.5667 | -110.2800 | 2900 | 1985/86 or 1989 TV grab (need to check references to confirm activity) |
| Logatchev-1 | active, confirmed | mid-ocean ridge | N MAR | 14.7520 | -44.9785 | 3050 | 1993-1994 TV grab and towed photo system; 1995 submersible Mir followed by submersible Nautile |
| Romanche Fracture Zone | inactive | mid-ocean ridge | S MAR | -0.9767 | -24.5133 | 3100 | NotProvided |
| MAR, 27 S | active, inferred | mid-ocean ridge | S MAR | -27.1476 | -13.4753 | 3341 | 2013 plume only |
| West Valley | active, inferred | mid-ocean ridge | JdF Ridge | 48.4833 | -129.0417 | 3000 | 1987 and 1988 deposits only (towed camera did not confirm activity) |
| EPR, 29.8 S, Segment E1 | active, inferred | mid-ocean ridge | S EPR | -29.8000 | -111.7300 | 2580 | 1998 plume only |
| Alarcon Rise, Ja Sit | active, confirmed | mid-ocean ridge | Gulf of California | 23.3765 | -108.5315 | 2304 | 2012 ROV Doc Ricketts |
| EPR, 17 34'S | active, confirmed | mid-ocean ridge | S EPR | -17.5667 | -113.2333 | 2600 | 1994 submersible Shinkai 6500; 1996 Argo II towed video |
| GEISEIR site 25, segment M4 | active, inferred | mid-ocean ridge | SEIR | -43.3115 | 92.1335 | 2700 | 2009 plume only |
| EPR, 13 N, SE Seamount | inactive | mid-ocean ridge | N EPR | 12.7000 | -103.8600 | 2500 | 1981 towed camera, dredging, and plume did not confirm activity; 1982 and 1984 submersible Cyana did not confirm activity |
| EPR, 9 17'N | active, confirmed | mid-ocean ridge | N EPR | 9.2800 | -104.2166 | 2585 | 1989 Argo I towed video |
| SWIR, D50B | active, inferred | mid-ocean ridge | SWIR | -52.4200 | 12.7480 | 3913 | 2000-2001 plume and dredge only |
| Zenith-Victory | inactive | mid-ocean ridge | N MAR | 20.1292 | -45.6225 | 2390 | 2008 (need citation to confirm that the field was discovered by TV-profiling and dredging) |
| GEISEIR site 13, segment L1 | active, inferred | mid-ocean ridge | SEIR | -41.0125 | 86.0608 | 2800 | 2010 plume only |
| CIR, 8-17 S, Segment 6, 14.3 S | active, inferred | mid-ocean ridge | CIR | -14.3000 | 66.1000 | 3500 | 2010 plume only |
| Axial Seamount, CASM | active, confirmed | mid-ocean ridge | JdF Ridge | 45.9892 | -130.0272 | 1580 | 1983 submersible Pisces IV |
| EPR, 2 S | active, confirmed | mid-ocean ridge | S EPR | -2.2200 | -102.6550 | 2900 | 2008 towed video and AUV ABE |
| Chile Rise, Segment N9A | active, inferred | mid-ocean ridge | Chile Rise | -39.0500 | -91.5833 | 3450 | 1998 plume only |
| GEISEIR site 36, segment O3 | active, inferred | mid-ocean ridge | SEIR | -47.7009 | 98.0631 | 2700 | 2009 plume only |
| MAR, 30 N | active, inferred | mid-ocean ridge | N MAR | 30.0333 | -42.5000 | 3400 | 1993 plume only |
| SEIR | inactive | mid-ocean ridge | SEIR | -28.0614 | 74.1733 | 5000 | NotProvided |