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 Regionsort descending Latitude Longitude Maximum or Single Reported Depth Year and How Discovered
EPR, 21 N active, confirmed mid-ocean ridge N EPR 20.8333 -109.0833 2600 1979 submersible Alvin; 1978 submersible Cyana discovered mineral deposits only
EPR/Tamayo intersection active, inferred mid-ocean ridge N EPR 22.9333 -108.0667 3200 1979 submersible Alvin did not confirm activity
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 47'N active, confirmed mid-ocean ridge N EPR 9.7750 -104.2802 2560 1989 Argo I towed video; 1991 submersible Alvin
EPR, 10 44.6'N active, confirmed mid-ocean ridge N EPR 10.7433 -103.6500 2580 1985 Argo video tow with temperature
Moytirra active, confirmed mid-ocean ridge N MAR 45.4833 -27.8500 2900 2011 ROV Holland 1; 2008 plume only MAPRs, ROV Isis buoyant plume, but no visual confirmation
MAR, 15 50'N inactive mid-ocean ridge N MAR 15.8667 -46.6667 3000 NotProvided
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
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
Vema Fracture Zone active, inferred other N MAR 10.7100 -42.6800 5180 2015 plume only
MAR, 16 46'N inactive mid-ocean ridge N MAR 16.7950 -46.3800 3300 NotProvided
Lost City active, confirmed mid-ocean ridge N MAR 30.1250 -42.1183 800 2000 towed video ARGO-II and submersible Alvin
MAR, 22 30'N inactive mid-ocean ridge N MAR 22.5000 -45.0050 2800 NotProvided
Neptune's Beard active, inferred mid-ocean ridge N MAR 12.9100 -44.9000 4100 1984 plume only; 2000 TV survey did not confirm activity
MAR, south of 15 20'N fracture zone active, inferred mid-ocean ridge N MAR 15.0833 -45.0000 3000 1988 plume only; 1992 submersible Nautile did not observe active vents
S AMAR 1 active, inferred mid-ocean ridge N MAR 36.0830 -34.0830 2630 1992 plume only; 1994 plume only
MAR, 23 35'N inactive mid-ocean ridge N MAR 23.5833 -45.0000 3500 1980 submersible Alvin did not observe hydrothermal activity
MAR, 11 26'N active, inferred mid-ocean ridge N MAR 11.4482 -43.7035 3835 2009 plume only
Luso active, confirmed mid-ocean ridge N MAR 38.9833 -29.8833 570 2018 ROV Luso
Menez Gwen active, confirmed mid-ocean ridge N MAR 37.8417 -31.5250 865 1994 submersible Nautile
Lucky Strike active, confirmed mid-ocean ridge N MAR 37.2933 -32.2733 1740 1993 submersible Alvin; 1992 dredge and plume only
MAR, 11 N active, inferred mid-ocean ridge N MAR 11.0380 -43.6483 4010 1984 plume only; 2009 plume only
S AMAR 2 active, inferred mid-ocean ridge N MAR 35.9670 -34.1830 2240 1992 plume only; 1994 plume 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)
MAR, 24 20'N inactive mid-ocean ridge N MAR 24.3500 -46.2000 3200 NotProvided
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
N Oceanographer active, inferred mid-ocean ridge N MAR 35.2830 -34.8670 2600 1992 plume only
South Kurchatov active, inferred mid-ocean ridge N MAR 40.4670 -29.5500 2900 1992 plume only; 1995 plume only
Menez Hom active, confirmed mid-ocean ridge N MAR 37.1500 -32.4333 1802 2002 ROV Victor 6000
Lucky Strike segment, southern end active, inferred mid-ocean ridge N MAR 37.0500 -32.4200 2600 1994 plume only

Pages