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 Activitysort descending Tectonic Setting Region Latitude Longitude Maximum or Single Reported Depth Year and How Discovered
Dorado Outcrop active, confirmed other 9.0800 -87.0950 3000 2013 ROV Jason Dive J2-751
Lost City active, confirmed mid-ocean ridge N MAR 30.1250 -42.1183 800 2000 towed video ARGO-II and submersible Alvin
CLSC, A3 active, confirmed back-arc spreading center Lau Basin -18.6000 -176.4500 2500 1990 submersible Mir
Axial Seamount, ASHES active, confirmed mid-ocean ridge JdF Ridge 45.9333 -130.0140 1540 1984 submersible Alvin
FRSC, Fonualei South active, confirmed back-arc spreading center Lau Basin -17.5352 -174.5668 1620 2012 ROV Quest 4000
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
EPR, Ridge 1, 20 40'S active, confirmed mid-ocean ridge S EPR -20.8333 -114.1667 3000 1983 Deep Tow camera
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
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)
Feather Duster active, confirmed mid-ocean ridge N EPR 10.9267 -103.6767 2520 1984 towed camera and submersible Alvin
Salty Dawg Field active, confirmed mid-ocean ridge JdF Ridge 47.9822 -129.0756 2200 1995 submersible Alvin, followed by ROV ROPOS
White Island active, confirmed back-arc spreading center Taupo Volcanic Zone -37.5191 177.1953 30 1989 or earlier, likely SCUBA
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
Nisiros active, confirmed arc volcano Hellenic Arc, Aegean Sea 36.5600 27.1400 18 1994 or earlier, likely by SCUBA
Vai Lili active, confirmed back-arc spreading center Lau Basin -22.2151 -176.6083 1764 1989 submersible Nautile
EPR, 2 S active, confirmed mid-ocean ridge S EPR -2.2200 -102.6550 2900 2008 towed video and AUV ABE
Starfish Seamount, Tinakula active, confirmed back-arc spreading center New Hebrides back-arc -12.2028 167.6139 1204 2011 commercial ROV; 1989 plume only; 1989 towed camera survey did not confirm activity; 2002 plume and dredge only
Alarcon Rise, Ja Sit active, confirmed mid-ocean ridge Gulf of California 23.3765 -108.5315 2304 2012 ROV Doc Ricketts
Saldanha active, confirmed mid-ocean ridge N MAR 36.5667 -33.4333 2300 1998 submersible Nautile
Vulcano active, confirmed arc volcano Aeolian Arc, Tyrrhenian Sea 38.4000 15.0000 8 1960's shallow vents
Izena Cauldron active, confirmed back-arc spreading center Okinawa Trough 27.2667 127.0833 1610 1988 submersible Shinkai 2000
EPR, 11 42'N active, confirmed mid-ocean ridge N EPR 11.7000 -103.8500 2580 1984 Angus camera (or 1985 Argo video) tow with temperature
Teahitia seamount active, confirmed intra-plate volcano Central Pacific -17.5670 -148.8167 1460 1983 submersible Cyana
Not Dead Yet active, confirmed mid-ocean ridge JdF Ridge 46.6899 -129.3772 2419 2007 ROV Jason II; 1991 camera tow did not confirm activity
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;
EPR, Ridge 3, 20 40'S active, confirmed mid-ocean ridge S EPR -20.3333 -113.6792 3050 1983 Deep Tow camera
Sonne 99 active, confirmed back-arc spreading center North Fiji Basin -16.9500 173.9167 1980 1995 deep tow video and TV-grab
Suiyo Seamount active, confirmed arc volcano Izu-Bonin Arc 28.5750 140.6417 1380 1991 submersible Shinkai 2000
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
Luso active, confirmed mid-ocean ridge N MAR 38.9833 -29.8833 570 2018 ROV Luso

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