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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Floc | active, confirmed | mid-ocean ridge | JdF Ridge | 46.3133 | -129.7050 | 2290 | 1993 DEEPTOW and submersible Alvin |
| Middle Valley, Dead Dog Vent Field | active, confirmed | mid-ocean ridge | JdF Ridge | 48.4560 | -128.7088 | 2450 | 1990 HOV Alvin |
| EPR, 37 48'S Axial Dome | active, confirmed | mid-ocean ridge | Pacific-Antarctic Ridge | -37.8000 | -110.9167 | 2200 | 2001 towed video and TV-grab |
| AHA Field | active, confirmed | mid-ocean ridge | N EPR | 1.7333 | -102.2830 | 2850 | 2000 towed imaging ARGO-II |
| SEIR-WXC12 | active, inferred | mid-ocean ridge | SEIR | -50.2500 | 136.2500 | 2780 | 2015 plume only |
| Vityaz megamullion | active, inferred | mid-ocean ridge | CIR | -5.4000 | 68.5833 | 3500 | 1979 plume and deposits only |
| Puy des Folles | active, inferred | mid-ocean ridge | N MAR | 20.5083 | -45.6417 | 2000 | 1996 submersible Nautile observed only inactive vents |
| 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 |
| Teotihuacan | active, confirmed | mid-ocean ridge | N EPR | 15.7333 | -105.4333 | 2300 | 2010 submersible Nautile; 1997 plume only |
| 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) |
| EPR, 16 35'S | active, inferred | mid-ocean ridge | S EPR | -16.5830 | -113.0600 | 2650 | 1993 plume only; 1998 submersible Alvin did not confirm activity |
| Galapagos Rift, 95 W | inactive | mid-ocean ridge | Galapagos Rift | 2.5000 | -95.1667 | 2600 | NotProvided |
| CIR, 8-17 S, Segment 6, 14.3 S | active, inferred | mid-ocean ridge | CIR | -14.3000 | 66.1000 | 3500 | 2010 plume only |
| near Jade Emperor Mountain, on-axis | active, inferred | mid-ocean ridge | SWIR | -37.8666 | 49.2166 | 3000 | 2010 plume only |
| Gakkel Ridge, Site 3 | active, inferred | mid-ocean ridge | Gakkel Ridge | 84.4333 | 2.1333 | 4300 | 2001 plume only |
| Mounds and Microbes | active, confirmed | mid-ocean ridge | N EPR | 9.4500 | -104.5383 | 2950 | 2002 submersible Alvin; 1994 submersible Alvin did not confirm activity |
| GEISEIR site 36, segment O3 | active, inferred | mid-ocean ridge | SEIR | -47.7009 | 98.0631 | 2700 | 2009 plume only |
| Atlantis II Deep | active, inferred | mid-ocean ridge | Red Sea | 21.3417 | 38.0750 | 2200 | 1965 "confirmed" hot brine and cored seafloor, but see Table 1 in Miller et al. (1966) for historical measurements |
| EPR, Ridge 1, 20 40'S | active, confirmed | mid-ocean ridge | S EPR | -20.8333 | -114.1667 | 3000 | 1983 Deep Tow camera |
| MAR, 4 48'S | active, confirmed | mid-ocean ridge | S MAR | -4.8058 | -12.3742 | 3050 | 2005 AUV ABE (cruise CD169 ) followed by ROV Quest (cruise M64/1) |
| Alarcon Rise, Tzab-ek | active, confirmed | mid-ocean ridge | Gulf of California | 23.3526 | -108.5597 | 2249 | 2015 ROV Doc Ricketts |
| MAR, 14 54'N | active, inferred | mid-ocean ridge | N MAR | 14.9200 | -44.9000 | 3500 | 1988 or earlier seafloor photographs did not confirm hydrothermal 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, 18 15'S | active, confirmed | mid-ocean ridge | S EPR | -18.2500 | -113.3500 | 2680 | 1993 submersible Nautile |
| GEISEIR site 10, segment K4 | active, inferred | mid-ocean ridge | SEIR | -42.4770 | 82.7100 | 2500 | 1996 plume only; 2010 plume only |
| Flow | active, confirmed | mid-ocean ridge | JdF Ridge | 46.5250 | -129.5783 | 2390 | 1993 ROV ROPOS |
| GEISEIR site 26, segment M4 | active, inferred | mid-ocean ridge | SEIR | -43.6901 | 92.8451 | 2500 | 2009 plume only |
| Europa | active, inferred | mid-ocean ridge | Mid-Cayman Rise | 18.3500 | -81.8500 | 2400 | 2009 plume only, not observed on dive with hybrid ROV Nereus |
| 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 |
| GEISEIR site 15, segment L1 | active, inferred | mid-ocean ridge | SEIR | -41.2230 | 86.3892 | 2500 | 2010 plume only |