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
Knipovich Ridge, 76 48'N active, inferred mid-ocean ridge Knipovich Ridge 76.7833 8.0000 3500 1996 temperature anomaly and towed video did not confirm activity
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
Vityaz megamullion active, inferred mid-ocean ridge CIR -5.4000 68.5833 3500 1979 plume and deposits only
SWIR, D57 active, inferred mid-ocean ridge SWIR -52.2240 13.7380 3517 2000-2001 plume and dredge only
Woodlark Basin, Segment 5B active, inferred back-arc spreading center Woodlark Basin -9.2540 156.1910 3550 1986 plume only; 2000 plume only
CIR, 8-17 S, Segment 1 active, inferred mid-ocean ridge CIR -8.2500 68.2000 3600 2010 plume only
Gakkel Ridge, 7.5 E active, inferred mid-ocean ridge Gakkel Ridge 85.0167 7.4500 3600 2001 plume only
SWIR, Plume 1, Segment 17 active, inferred mid-ocean ridge SWIR -31.1830 58.5000 3600 1997 plume only
Mariana Mounds active, confirmed back-arc spreading center Mariana Trough 18.0333 144.2833 3600 1987 submersible Alvin
Gakkel Ridge, Site 5 active, inferred mid-ocean ridge Gakkel Ridge 86.3500 37.0000 3600 2001 plume only
Tiancheng active, confirmed mid-ocean ridge SWIR -27.9670 63.5500 3600 2014 HOV Jiaolong; 1997 plume only; 2009 DY115-20 Leg 7 plume and deposits;
Alice Springs Field active, confirmed back-arc spreading center Mariana Trough 18.2103 144.7073 3640 1987 submersible Alvin; 1982 plume only
TAG active, confirmed mid-ocean ridge N MAR 26.1367 -44.8267 3670 1985 towed camera and temperature anomaly; 1986 submersible Alvin
Mariana Trough, Central Trough active, confirmed back-arc spreading center Mariana Trough 18.0467 144.7533 3676 1987 submersible Alvin
Pescadero Basin, Auka active, confirmed mid-ocean ridge Gulf of California 23.9567 -108.8618 3685 2015 ROV Doc Ricketts; 1990 or earlier plume only
CIR, 8-17 S, Segment 4, 11.2 S active, inferred mid-ocean ridge CIR -11.2000 66.5000 3800 2010 plume only
CIR, 8-17 S, Segment 5, 12.6 S active, inferred mid-ocean ridge CIR -12.6000 66.1000 3800 2010 plume only
Gakkel Ridge, Site 7 active, inferred mid-ocean ridge Gakkel Ridge 86.9833 55.5000 3800 2001 plume only
Mariana Trough, 16.5 N active, inferred back-arc spreading center Mariana Trough 16.4010 144.8700 3829 2015 plume only
MAR, 11 26'N active, inferred mid-ocean ridge N MAR 11.4482 -43.7035 3835 2009 plume only
Gakkel Ridge, 85 E active, inferred mid-ocean ridge Gakkel Ridge 85.6500 84.8333 3900 2001 plume only; 2007 towed video did not confirm activity
Gakkel Ridge, Site 2 active, inferred mid-ocean ridge Gakkel Ridge 83.8500 -2.0000 3900 2001 plume only
MAR, 24 30'N inactive mid-ocean ridge N MAR 24.5000 -46.1533 3900 1987 deposits only
Station 58, N160 Axis active, inferred back-arc spreading center North Fiji Basin -16.3167 173.5500 3900 1985 plume only; 1991 temperature anomalies but submersible Shinkai 6500 did not confirm activity
SWIR, Plume 3, Segment 16 active, inferred mid-ocean ridge SWIR -30.8500 59.3830 3900 1997 plume only
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
SWIR, D50B active, inferred mid-ocean ridge SWIR -52.4200 12.7480 3913 2000-2001 plume and dredge only
Mariana Trough, 18.2 N active, inferred back-arc spreading center Mariana Trough 18.1080 144.7380 3916 2015 plume only
SWIR, D9B active, inferred mid-ocean ridge SWIR -52.7070 18.8170 3931 2000-2001 plume and dredge only
Perseverance active, confirmed back-arc spreading center Mariana Trough 15.4802 144.5077 3935 2016 ROV SuBastian; 2015 AUV Sentry plume mapping

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To display the full list of Vent Fields, and for export to a CSV file, please click HERE.

The InterRidge Vents Database is hosted by InterRidge at the Institut de Physique du Globe de Paris (IPGP), France.
This site is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 4.0 International License
For more information, contact Stace Beaulieu, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, USA

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