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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mokuyo Seamount | active, confirmed | arc volcano | Izu-Bonin Arc | 28.3200 | 140.5800 | 1200 | 1990 submersible Shinkai 2000 |
| Punta Banda | active, confirmed | other | Coastal Baja California | 31.7500 | -116.7500 | 30 | 1960's commercial abalone divers |
| Deyin-1 | active, confirmed | mid-ocean ridge | S MAR | -15.1666 | -13.3558 | 2850 | 2012 TV-grab; 2011 deposits only; 2013 plume only |
| EPR, 9 33'N | active, confirmed | mid-ocean ridge | N EPR | 9.5583 | -104.2500 | 2574 | 1989 Argo I towed video; 1991 submersible Alvin |
| Tangaroa volcano | active, confirmed | arc volcano | Kermadec Arc | -36.3250 | 178.0333 | 890 | 2012 likely towed video or TV grab; 1999 plume only |
| Magic Mountain | active, confirmed | mid-ocean ridge | Explorer Ridge | 49.7500 | -130.2667 | 1850 | 1984 submersible Pisces IV |
| Eyjafjördur | active, confirmed | mid-ocean ridge | Kolbeinsey Ridge | 65.8500 | -18.1333 | 65 | 1997, likely by SCUBA |
| South Cleft | active, confirmed | mid-ocean ridge | JdF Ridge | 44.6667 | -130.3667 | 2250 | 1981 deep-tow photographs; 1984 submersible Alvin |
| Iguanas-Pinguinos | active, confirmed | mid-ocean ridge | Galapagos Rift | 2.1000 | -91.9350 | 1640 | 2005 towed video Medea |
| EPR, 13 N | active, confirmed | mid-ocean ridge | N EPR | 12.8333 | -103.9500 | 2630 | 1982 submersible Cyana; 1981 towed camera, dredging, and plume did not confirm activity |
| EPR, 17 44'S | active, confirmed | mid-ocean ridge | S EPR | -17.7330 | -113.2660 | 2622 | 1998 submersible Alvin; 1993 plume only; not explored by Nautile in 1993 or Shinkai 6500 in 1994 |
| Alarcon Rise, Ja Sit | active, confirmed | mid-ocean ridge | Gulf of California | 23.3765 | -108.5315 | 2304 | 2012 ROV Doc Ricketts |
| Healy volcano | active, confirmed | arc volcano | Kermadec Arc | -34.9840 | 178.9990 | 1370 | 2005 submersible Pisces V; 1999 plume only |
| Kolbeinsey Field | active, confirmed | mid-ocean ridge | Kolbeinsey Ridge | 67.0833 | -18.7167 | 110 | 1988 submersible GEO |
| North Knoll, Iheya Ridge | active, confirmed | back-arc spreading center | Okinawa Trough | 27.7908 | 126.8966 | 1100 | 1995 deep tow survey |
| Uka Pacha | active, confirmed | mid-ocean ridge | Galapagos Rift | 0.7700 | -88.3000 | 2100 | 2011 ROV Little Hercules |
| Higashi-Ensei | active, confirmed | back-arc spreading center | Okinawa Trough | 28.4393 | 128.1724 | 1220 | 2016 ROV Kaiko dives 723 and 724 |
| Kasuga 3 Seamount | active, confirmed | arc volcano | Mariana Arc | 21.3833 | 143.6000 | 1140 | 1987 submersible Alvin |
| Aden | active, confirmed | mid-ocean ridge | Aden Ridge | 11.9500 | 43.6667 | 1600 | 1984 submersible Cyana |
| EPR, 20 06'S | active, confirmed | mid-ocean ridge | S EPR | -20.1000 | -113.7080 | 3000 | 1981 Angus camera tow; 1984 submersible Cyana |
| Maug Caldera | active, confirmed | arc volcano | Mariana Arc | 20.0200 | 145.2200 | 145 | 2003 SCUBA shallow vents; 2004 ROV ROPOS deeper vents; 2003 plume only deeper vents |
| Guaymas Basin, Northern Trough_2 | active, confirmed | mid-ocean ridge | Gulf of California | 27.4110 | -111.3879 | 1800 | 2015 ROV Hybis |
| Tu'i Malila | active, confirmed | back-arc spreading center | Lau Basin | -21.9876 | -176.5678 | 1870 | 2005 ROV Jason II; 2004 plume only |
| Sasquatch Field | active, confirmed | mid-ocean ridge | JdF Ridge | 47.9969 | -129.0662 | 2200 | 2000 submersible Alvin |
| Menez Gwen | active, confirmed | mid-ocean ridge | N MAR | 37.8417 | -31.5250 | 865 | 1994 submersible Nautile |
| Palinuro | active, confirmed | arc volcano | Aeolian Arc, Tyrrhenian Sea | 39.5500 | 14.7000 | 1000 | 2006 ROV Cherokee; 1968 manganese crust only; 1984 deposits only; 1993 TV profile did not confirm |
| 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; |
| Beebe | active, confirmed | mid-ocean ridge | Mid-Cayman Rise | 18.5466 | -81.7182 | 4957 | 2010 AUV Autosub6000 and HyBIS TVG; 2009 plume only |
| Vienna Woods, Hydrothermal Field 4 | active, confirmed | back-arc spreading center | Manus Basin | -3.3712 | 150.0360 | 2240 | 1990 TV-grab |
| Punta Mita, Bahia de Banderas | active, confirmed | other | Coastal Mexico | 20.7700 | -105.5200 | 10 | 1997 photo/video most likely by SCUBA |