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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Edmond Field | active, confirmed | mid-ocean ridge | CIR | -23.8780 | 69.5960 | 3320 | 2001 ROV Jason |
| EPR, 2 S | active, confirmed | mid-ocean ridge | S EPR | -2.2200 | -102.6550 | 2900 | 2008 towed video and AUV ABE |
| EPR, 3.9 N offset | active, confirmed | mid-ocean ridge | N EPR | 3.9170 | -102.2330 | 2875 | 1989 or earlier Deep Tow photographs (cruise RIFTS or PAPATUA) |
| EPR, 10 02'N | active, confirmed | mid-ocean ridge | N EPR | 10.0330 | -104.3300 | 2560 | 1992 submersible Alvin |
| Salty Dawg Field | active, confirmed | mid-ocean ridge | JdF Ridge | 47.9822 | -129.0756 | 2200 | 1995 submersible Alvin, followed by ROV ROPOS |
| MAR, 30 N | active, inferred | mid-ocean ridge | N MAR | 30.0333 | -42.5000 | 3400 | 1993 plume only |
| Explorer Deep | inactive | mid-ocean ridge | Explorer Ridge | 50.1000 | -129.7500 | 3200 | 1969, deposits only |
| Hess Deep | inactive | mid-ocean ridge | Galapagos Rift | 2.2500 | -101.5000 | 5100 | NotProvided |
| GEISEIR site 32, segment O2 | active, inferred | mid-ocean ridge | SEIR | -47.1196 | 96.8947 | 2600 | 2009 plume only |
| Magic Mountain | active, confirmed | mid-ocean ridge | Explorer Ridge | 49.7500 | -130.2667 | 1850 | 1984 submersible Pisces IV |
| GEISEIR site 6, segment K2 | active, inferred | mid-ocean ridge | SEIR | -41.6600 | 81.6617 | 2600 | 2007 plume only; 2010 plume only |
| Carlsberg Ridge, 63 40'E | active, inferred | mid-ocean ridge | Carlsberg Ridge | 3.7000 | 63.6666 | 3500 | 2007 plume only |
| GEISEIR site 7, segment K3 | active, inferred | mid-ocean ridge | SEIR | -41.8020 | 81.8380 | 2540 | 1996 plume only; 2010 plume only |
| Rainbow Bay | active, inferred | mid-ocean ridge | S MAR | -14.0300 | -14.3400 | 2900 | 2009 towed video did not confirm activity |
| Bai Causeway | active, inferred | mid-ocean ridge | SWIR | -37.9000 | 48.8000 | 3000 | 2014 leg 2 or 3 of the 30th Chinese Cruise |
| EPR, 1 S | active, inferred | mid-ocean ridge | S EPR | -0.8000 | -102.4600 | 2800 | 2005 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 |
| Galapagos Rift, 93.7 W | active, inferred | mid-ocean ridge | Galapagos Rift | 2.4970 | -93.7700 | 2220 | 2005 plume only |
| Neptune's Beard | active, inferred | mid-ocean ridge | N MAR | 12.9100 | -44.9000 | 4100 | 1984 plume only; 2000 TV survey did not confirm activity |
| EPR, Manzanillo Spreading Segment | active, inferred | mid-ocean ridge | N EPR | 18.2500 | -106.3000 | 2600 | 1997 plume only |
| SWIR, D57 | active, inferred | mid-ocean ridge | SWIR | -52.2240 | 13.7380 | 3517 | 2000-2001 plume and dredge only |
| Logatchev-5 | inactive | mid-ocean ridge | N MAR | 14.7500 | -44.9700 | 3100 | 2007 ROV VICTOR 6000 did not find hydrothermal activity |
| GEISEIR site 19, segment L3 | active, inferred | mid-ocean ridge | SEIR | -41.8333 | 87.6266 | 2400 | 2009 GEISEIR 1 and 2010 GEISEIR 2 plume only |
| EPR, 17 42'S | active, inferred | mid-ocean ridge | S EPR | -17.7000 | -113.2500 | 2600 | 1993 plume only |
| 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 |
| MAR, 33 S | active, inferred | mid-ocean ridge | S MAR | -32.9676 | -14.4517 | 2600 | 2013 plume only |
| SEIR-WXC22 | active, inferred | mid-ocean ridge | SEIR | -50.2500 | 132.1000 | 2950 | 2015 plume only |
| EPR, 26 10'S | active, confirmed | mid-ocean ridge | S EPR | -26.2050 | -112.6133 | 2600 | 1987 or earlier [need to check Marchig & Gundlach (1987)]; 2005 submersible Alvin did not observe active vents |
| 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) |
| Ashadze-2 | active, confirmed | mid-ocean ridge | N MAR | 12.9917 | -44.9067 | 3300 | 2007 ROV Victor 6000; 2005 TV profiling, plume, and dredge did not confirm activity |