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 Regionsort ascending Latitude Longitude Maximum or Single Reported Depth Year and How Discovered
EPR, 16 24'S active, inferred mid-ocean ridge S EPR -16.4000 -113.0500 2640 1993 plume only
EPR, 28.3 S, Segment W3 active, inferred mid-ocean ridge S EPR -28.3000 -112.9830 2220 1998 plume only
EPR, 18 10'S active, confirmed mid-ocean ridge S EPR -18.1700 -113.3440 2700 1993 submersible Nautile; 1983 temperature and light attenuation anomalies
EPR, 21 54'S active, inferred mid-ocean ridge S EPR -21.9000 -114.5000 2800 1987-1988 deposits only [need to check Fouquet et al. (1993) for confirmation]
EPR, 1 S active, inferred mid-ocean ridge S EPR -0.8000 -102.4600 2800 2005 plume only
EPR, 28.4 S, Segment W4 active, inferred mid-ocean ridge S EPR -28.4170 -112.9640 2350 1998 plume only
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
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
EPR, 18 15'S active, confirmed mid-ocean ridge S EPR -18.2500 -113.3500 2680 1993 submersible Nautile
EPR, 5 S active, inferred mid-ocean ridge S EPR -5.0000 -106.4000 2650 1980's camera tows; 1993 and 1998 plume only; 1998 submersible Alvin did not confirm activity
EPR, 1.4 S, off-axis active, confirmed mid-ocean ridge S EPR -1.3690 -102.4560 3000 2008 towed video
EPR, 28.7 S, Segment W4 active, inferred mid-ocean ridge S EPR -28.7000 -112.9880 2350 1998 plume only
EPR, 16 43'S active, inferred mid-ocean ridge S EPR -16.7170 -113.0680 2600 1985/86 or 1989 TV grab (need to check references to confirm activity)
Pito Seamount active, confirmed mid-ocean ridge S EPR -23.3275 -111.6402 2270 1993 submersible Nautile
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
EPR, 18 26'S active, confirmed mid-ocean ridge S EPR -18.4333 -113.3833 2650 1993 submersible Nautile; 1983 seafloor photos, temperature anomalies, and deposits did not confirm activity; 1984 submersible Cyana observed only inactive sites; 1985/86 or 1989 TV grab (need to check references to confirm activity)
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, Ridge 1, 20 40'S active, confirmed mid-ocean ridge S EPR -20.8333 -114.1667 3000 1983 Deep Tow camera
EPR, 29.5 S, Segment E1 active, inferred mid-ocean ridge S EPR -29.5000 -111.7200 2580 1998 plume only
EPR, 17 12'S active, confirmed mid-ocean ridge S EPR -17.2000 -113.1500 2590 1993 submersible Nautile
EPR, 7 S active, inferred mid-ocean ridge S EPR -7.0000 -107.5500 2600 1985/86 or 1989 TV grab
EPR, 18 32'S active, confirmed mid-ocean ridge S EPR -18.5550 -113.4160 2647 1993 submersible Nautile
EPR, 23 30'S active, confirmed mid-ocean ridge S EPR -23.5333 -115.5667 2600 1987 or earlier [need to check Marchig & Gundlach (1987)]; 2005 submersible Alvin
EPR, Ridge 3, 20 40'S active, confirmed mid-ocean ridge S EPR -20.3333 -113.6792 3050 1983 Deep Tow camera
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, 29.8 S, Segment E1 active, inferred mid-ocean ridge S EPR -29.8000 -111.7300 2580 1998 plume only
EPR, 17 34'S active, confirmed mid-ocean ridge S EPR -17.5667 -113.2333 2600 1994 submersible Shinkai 6500; 1996 Argo II towed video
EPR, 2 S active, confirmed mid-ocean ridge S EPR -2.2200 -102.6550 2900 2008 towed video and AUV ABE
Saguaro Field active, confirmed mid-ocean ridge S EPR -31.8500 -112.0333 2330 1999 submersible Alvin; 1998 plume only
EPR, 23 50'S active, confirmed mid-ocean ridge S EPR -23.8233 -115.4558 2650 2005 submersible Alvin; 1990 or earlier towed TV camera did not confirm activity

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