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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 |