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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Galapagos Rift, 85 50'W | inactive | mid-ocean ridge | Galapagos Rift | 0.7500 | -85.8333 | 2600 | 1988 or earlier submersible observations |
| EPR, Manzanillo Spreading Segment | active, inferred | mid-ocean ridge | N EPR | 18.2500 | -106.3000 | 2600 | 1997 plume only |
| GEISEIR site 13, segment L1 | active, inferred | mid-ocean ridge | SEIR | -41.0125 | 86.0608 | 2800 | 2010 plume only |
| EPR, 7 25'S | active, confirmed | mid-ocean ridge | S EPR | -7.4167 | -107.8000 | 2750 | 1985/86 or 1989 TV grab (need to check references to confirm activity); 1998 submersible Alvin |
| Kolbeinsey Ridge, 69 N | active, inferred | mid-ocean ridge | Kolbeinsey Ridge | 68.7581 | -16.0000 | 1200 | 1980 or earlier sediments only |
| MAR, 28 S | active, inferred | mid-ocean ridge | S MAR | -27.7936 | -13.3730 | 3217 | 2013 plume only |
| Baby Bare Seamount | active, confirmed | mid-ocean ridge | JdF Ridge | 47.7100 | -127.7870 | 2600 | 1995 submersible Alvin |
| SEIR | inactive | mid-ocean ridge | SEIR | -28.0614 | 74.1733 | 5000 | NotProvided |
| Saguaro Field | active, confirmed | mid-ocean ridge | S EPR | -31.8500 | -112.0333 | 2330 | 1999 submersible Alvin; 1998 plume only |
| EPR, 17 56'S | active, inferred | mid-ocean ridge | S EPR | -17.9400 | -113.3170 | 2620 | 1993 plume only |
| GEISEIR site 35, segment O3 | active, inferred | mid-ocean ridge | SEIR | -47.6179 | 97.8678 | 2600 | 2009 plume only |
| Gorda Ridge, EP96B | active, inferred | mid-ocean ridge | Gorda Ridge | 42.5500 | -126.8333 | 3400 | 1984 deposits only; 1996 plume only |
| EPR, 1 S | active, inferred | mid-ocean ridge | S EPR | -0.8000 | -102.4600 | 2800 | 2005 plume only |
| Walsh | active, inferred | mid-ocean ridge | Mid-Cayman Rise | 17.8333 | -81.8333 | 4000 | 2009 plume only; 2013 plume only |
| SEIR-WXC15 | active, inferred | mid-ocean ridge | SEIR | -50.2500 | 135.3000 | 3000 | 2015 plume only |
| Bubbylon | active, confirmed | mid-ocean ridge | N MAR | 37.8000 | -31.5333 | 1000 | 2010 ROV MARUM-QUEST, same cruise as plume discovered by multibeam echosounder |
| Lost City | active, confirmed | mid-ocean ridge | N MAR | 30.1250 | -42.1183 | 800 | 2000 towed video ARGO-II and submersible Alvin |
| EPR, 22 30'S | active, inferred | mid-ocean ridge | S EPR | -22.5000 | -114.3670 | 2600 | 1985/86 or 1989 TV grab (need to check references to confirm activity) |
| EPR, 21 25'S | active, confirmed | mid-ocean ridge | S EPR | -21.4333 | -114.2917 | 2850 | 1984 submersible Cyana; 1983 deposits only |
| SWIR, Plume 6 | active, inferred | mid-ocean ridge | SWIR | -27.7670 | 65.1330 | 3200 | 1997 plume only |
| Aden New Century Mountains | active, inferred | mid-ocean ridge | Aden Ridge | 12.0833 | 45.6667 | 800 | 2000-2001 plume only |
| 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) |
| EPR, 16 08'S | active, inferred | mid-ocean ridge | S EPR | -16.1300 | -113.0000 | 2640 | 1993 plume only |
| Hess Deep | inactive | mid-ocean ridge | Galapagos Rift | 2.2500 | -101.5000 | 5100 | NotProvided |
| Mohns Ridge, 72.8 N | active, inferred | mid-ocean ridge | Mohns Ridge | 72.8060 | 4.1650 | 2300 | 2013 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) |
| Squid Forest | inactive | mid-ocean ridge | Kolbeinsey Ridge | 68.0000 | -17.5000 | 900 | 1999 ROV Aglantha |
| MAR, 24 20'N | inactive | mid-ocean ridge | N MAR | 24.3500 | -46.2000 | 3200 | NotProvided |
| Alarcon Rise, Meyibo | active, confirmed | mid-ocean ridge | Gulf of California | 23.3553 | -108.5443 | 2295 | 2012 ROV Doc Ricketts |
| Eye of Mordor Seamount | active, inferred | mid-ocean ridge | Galapagos Rift | 1.9410 | -91.3100 | 1555 | 2005 plume only |