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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DSDP Hole 504B | inactive | mid-ocean ridge | Galapagos Rift | 1.2267 | -83.7300 | 3500 | NotProvided |
| GEISEIR site 6, segment K2 | active, inferred | mid-ocean ridge | SEIR | -41.6600 | 81.6617 | 2600 | 2007 plume only; 2010 plume only |
| Rainbow Bay | active, inferred | mid-ocean ridge | S MAR | -14.0300 | -14.3400 | 2900 | 2009 towed video did not confirm activity |
| 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 |
| CIR, 8-17 S, Segment 4, 10.9 S | active, inferred | mid-ocean ridge | CIR | -10.9000 | 66.7000 | 3500 | 2010 plume only |
| Kolbeinsey Ridge, 69 N | active, inferred | mid-ocean ridge | Kolbeinsey Ridge | 68.7581 | -16.0000 | 1200 | 1980 or earlier sediments only |
| GEISEIR site 2, segment J4 | active, inferred | mid-ocean ridge | SEIR | -41.2520 | 79.1030 | 2800 | 1996 plume and dredge only |
| MAR, 25 S | active, inferred | mid-ocean ridge | S MAR | -25.3350 | -13.6305 | 2570 | 2013 plume only |
| EPR, Manzanillo Spreading Segment | active, inferred | mid-ocean ridge | N EPR | 18.2500 | -106.3000 | 2600 | 1997 plume only |
| Middle Valley, Bent Hill Massive Sulfide | active, confirmed | mid-ocean ridge | JdF Ridge | 48.4341 | -128.6812 | 2440 | 1990 HOV Alvin, 1985 deposits only |
| SWIR, Plume 1, Segment 17 | active, inferred | mid-ocean ridge | SWIR | -31.1830 | 58.5000 | 3600 | 1997 plume only |
| MAR, 4 02'S | active, inferred | mid-ocean ridge | S MAR | -4.0333 | -12.2500 | 4000 | 2005 plume only |
| EPR 87D1 Seamount | inactive | mid-ocean ridge | N EPR | 11.5333 | -103.8600 | 2090 | NotProvided |
| Owen transform fault | inactive | mid-ocean ridge | Carlsberg Ridge | 9.8333 | 57.9500 | 4500 | NotProvided |
| GEISEIR site 19, segment L3 | active, inferred | mid-ocean ridge | SEIR | -41.8333 | 87.6266 | 2400 | 2009 GEISEIR 1 and 2010 GEISEIR 2 plume only |
| Galapagos Rift, 85 50'W | inactive | mid-ocean ridge | Galapagos Rift | 0.7500 | -85.8333 | 2600 | 1988 or earlier submersible observations |
| EPR, 21 40'S | active, inferred | mid-ocean ridge | S EPR | -21.6340 | -114.3010 | 2730 | 1987-1988 deposits only |
| South Cleft | active, confirmed | mid-ocean ridge | JdF Ridge | 44.6667 | -130.3667 | 2250 | 1981 deep-tow photographs; 1984 submersible Alvin |
| Consag Basin | active, inferred | mid-ocean ridge | Gulf of California | 30.6333 | -113.9083 | 140 | 2007 echosounder and grab samples |
| EPR, 16 24'S | active, inferred | mid-ocean ridge | S EPR | -16.4000 | -113.0500 | 2640 | 1993 plume only |
| Mothra Field | active, confirmed | mid-ocean ridge | JdF Ridge | 47.9233 | -129.1082 | 2270 | 1996 ROV ROPOS; 1986 plume only |
| Ashadze-1 | active, confirmed | mid-ocean ridge | N MAR | 12.9733 | -44.8633 | 4200 | 2003 TV profiling; 2007 ROV Victor 6000 |
| 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 |
| Lost City | active, confirmed | mid-ocean ridge | N MAR | 30.1250 | -42.1183 | 800 | 2000 towed video ARGO-II and submersible Alvin |
| Red Seamount | active, confirmed | mid-ocean ridge | N EPR | 20.8033 | -109.3783 | 2000 | 1982 submersible Alvin |
| Bai Causeway | active, inferred | mid-ocean ridge | SWIR | -37.9000 | 48.8000 | 3000 | 2014 leg 2 or 3 of the 30th Chinese Cruise |
| Gorda Ridge, EP96B | active, inferred | mid-ocean ridge | Gorda Ridge | 42.5500 | -126.8333 | 3400 | 1984 deposits only; 1996 plume only |
| Ribeira Quente | active, confirmed | mid-ocean ridge | Terceira Rift | 37.7250 | -25.3160 | 10 | 1986 or earlier, likely from shore or by SCUBA |
| Walsh | active, inferred | mid-ocean ridge | Mid-Cayman Rise | 17.8333 | -81.8333 | 4000 | 2009 plume only; 2013 plume only |
| EPR, 28.3 S, Segment W3 | active, inferred | mid-ocean ridge | S EPR | -28.3000 | -112.9830 | 2220 | 1998 plume only |