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 Depthsort descending Year and How Discovered
EPR, 8 38'N active, confirmed mid-ocean ridge N EPR 8.6333 -104.2000 2550 2003 submersible Alvin; 1989 dredge only; 2002 plume only
N-ELSC, plume 28 active, inferred back-arc spreading center Lau Basin -19.6500 -175.9890 2550 2004 plume only
Merian active, inferred mid-ocean ridge S MAR -26.0166 -13.8500 2550 2012 R/V Dayang Yihao; 2013 AUV Abyss plume and side-scan data
Rose Garden active, confirmed mid-ocean ridge Galapagos Rift 0.8058 -86.2267 2550 1977 submersible Alvin; 1976 plume and photographs of clam shells did not confirm activity (note: Rose Garden is used here as the name of the vent field, but Rose Garden vent site itself not discovered until 1979)
Tempus Fugit active, confirmed mid-ocean ridge Galapagos Rift 0.7683 -85.9100 2560 2011 ROV Little Hercules
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 02'N active, confirmed mid-ocean ridge N EPR 10.0330 -104.3300 2560 1992 submersible Alvin
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
MAR, 25 S active, inferred mid-ocean ridge S MAR -25.3350 -13.6305 2570 2013 plume only
N-ELSC, plume 27 active, inferred back-arc spreading center Lau Basin -19.7500 -176.0190 2570 2004 plume only; 2009 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
EPR, 9 33'N active, confirmed mid-ocean ridge N EPR 9.5583 -104.2500 2574 1989 Argo I towed video; 1991 submersible Alvin
Medusa active, confirmed mid-ocean ridge N EPR 9.1404 -104.2065 2580 2007 ROV Jason II; 1991 plume only
EPR, 9 30'N active, confirmed mid-ocean ridge N EPR 9.5167 -104.2414 2580 1989 Argo I towed video
EPR, 10 08'N active, inferred mid-ocean ridge N EPR 10.1300 -104.3300 2580 1983 towed camera and temperature measurements (no direct observations/sampling of hydrothermal fluid)
EPR, 29.5 S, Segment E1 active, inferred mid-ocean ridge S EPR -29.5000 -111.7200 2580 1998 plume only
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
EPR, 29.8 S, Segment E1 active, inferred mid-ocean ridge S EPR -29.8000 -111.7300 2580 1998 plume only
EPR, 11 45'N, OSC active, inferred mid-ocean ridge N EPR 11.7775 -103.8300 2580 1984 Angus camera (or 1985 Argo video) tow with temperature; 1988 submersible Alvin dive #2004 (need reference to confirm activity)
EPR, 10 44.6'N active, confirmed mid-ocean ridge N EPR 10.7433 -103.6500 2580 1985 Argo video tow with temperature
EPR, 11 07'N active, inferred mid-ocean ridge N EPR 11.1330 -103.7800 2580 1988 submersible Alvin dive #1989 (need reference to confirm activity); 1991 plume only
EPR, 8 53'N active, inferred mid-ocean ridge N EPR 8.9000 -104.2000 2580 1991 plume only
EPR, 11 24'N active, confirmed mid-ocean ridge N EPR 11.4000 -103.7800 2580 1990 submersible Alvin; 1988 submersible Alvin dive #1994 (need reference to confirm activity)
EPR, 9 17'N active, confirmed mid-ocean ridge N EPR 9.2800 -104.2166 2585 1989 Argo I towed video
EPR, 17 12'S active, confirmed mid-ocean ridge S EPR -17.2000 -113.1500 2590 1993 submersible Nautile
Rehu-Marka active, confirmed mid-ocean ridge S EPR -17.4333 -113.2000 2590 1993 submersible Nautile; 1984 submersible Cyana - Auzende et al. (1996) says that no active black smokers were discovered but Krasnov et al. (1997) says one black smoker observed
Stealth active, confirmed mid-ocean ridge S EPR -17.6167 -113.2330 2600 1996 Argo II towed video; 1993 plume only; 1998 submersible Alvin
GEISEIR site 32, segment O2 active, inferred mid-ocean ridge SEIR -47.1196 96.8947 2600 2009 plume only
EPR, 26 10'S active, confirmed mid-ocean ridge S EPR -26.2050 -112.6133 2600 1987 or earlier [need to check Marchig & Gundlach (1987)]; 2005 submersible Alvin did not observe active vents
MAR, 33 S active, inferred mid-ocean ridge S MAR -32.9676 -14.4517 2600 2013 plume only

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