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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 |
| GEISEIR site 14, segment L1 | active, inferred | mid-ocean ridge | SEIR | -41.0716 | 86.1550 | 2700 | 2010 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 |
| SWIR, D57 | active, inferred | mid-ocean ridge | SWIR | -52.2240 | 13.7380 | 3517 | 2000-2001 plume and dredge only |
| Lucky B | active, inferred | mid-ocean ridge | Lena Trough | 81.3610 | -3.4400 | 4000 | 1999 dredging only |
| MAR, 33 S | active, inferred | mid-ocean ridge | S MAR | -32.9676 | -14.4517 | 2600 | 2013 plume only |
| Teotihuacan | active, confirmed | mid-ocean ridge | N EPR | 15.7333 | -105.4333 | 2300 | 2010 submersible Nautile; 1997 plume only |
| Guaymas Basin, Northern Trough_2 | active, confirmed | mid-ocean ridge | Gulf of California | 27.4110 | -111.3879 | 1800 | 2015 ROV Hybis |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| Carlsberg Ridge, 63 50'E | active, inferred | mid-ocean ridge | Carlsberg Ridge | 3.6916 | 63.8333 | 3500 | 2009 plume only; 2012 plume and deposits |
| Broken Spur | active, confirmed | mid-ocean ridge | N MAR | 29.1700 | -43.1717 | 3100 | 1993 submersible Alvin; earlier in 1993, water column anomalies and towed camera did not confirm activity |
| GEISEIR site 21, segment L3 | active, inferred | mid-ocean ridge | SEIR | -42.0050 | 87.8808 | 2400 | 2010 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) |
| Puy des Folles | active, inferred | mid-ocean ridge | N MAR | 20.5083 | -45.6417 | 2000 | 1996 submersible Nautile observed only inactive vents |
| Wagner Basin | active, inferred | mid-ocean ridge | Gulf of California | 31.0666 | -114.0833 | 120 | 2007 echosounder and grab samples |
| EPR/Tamayo intersection | active, inferred | mid-ocean ridge | N EPR | 22.9333 | -108.0667 | 3200 | 1979 submersible Alvin did not confirm activity |
| Iguanas-Pinguinos | active, confirmed | mid-ocean ridge | Galapagos Rift | 2.1000 | -91.9350 | 1640 | 2005 towed video Medea |
| EPR, 18 15'S | active, confirmed | mid-ocean ridge | S EPR | -18.2500 | -113.3500 | 2680 | 1993 submersible Nautile |
| EPR, 28.7 S, Segment W4 | active, inferred | mid-ocean ridge | S EPR | -28.7000 | -112.9880 | 2350 | 1998 plume only |
| Mount Jourdanne | inactive | mid-ocean ridge | SWIR | -27.8500 | 63.9333 | 2940 | 1998 submersible Shinkai 6500 |
| MAR, segment south of St. Paul system | active, inferred | mid-ocean ridge | N MAR | 0.5000 | -25.0000 | 3500 | 2013 plume only |
| GEISEIR site 33, segment O2 | active, inferred | mid-ocean ridge | SEIR | -47.2383 | 97.1566 | 2700 | 2009 plume only |
| 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 |
| Dodo Field | active, confirmed | mid-ocean ridge | CIR | -18.3470 | 65.3050 | 2730 | 2009 submersible Shinkai 6500; 2006 plume only |
| Eyjafjördur | active, confirmed | mid-ocean ridge | Kolbeinsey Ridge | 65.8500 | -18.1333 | 65 | 1997, likely by SCUBA |
| Jade Emperor Mountain | inactive | mid-ocean ridge | SWIR | -37.9400 | 49.2600 | 1500 | 2010 video sled, plume survey, and geological sampling all suggest inactive |
| Alarcon Rise, Tzab-ek | active, confirmed | mid-ocean ridge | Gulf of California | 23.3526 | -108.5597 | 2249 | 2015 ROV Doc Ricketts |
| MAR, 11 26'N | active, inferred | mid-ocean ridge | N MAR | 11.4482 | -43.7035 | 3835 | 2009 plume only |
| EPR, 9 47'N | active, confirmed | mid-ocean ridge | N EPR | 9.7750 | -104.2802 | 2560 | 1989 Argo I towed video; 1991 submersible Alvin |