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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| EPR, 9 30'N | active, confirmed | mid-ocean ridge | N EPR | 9.5167 | -104.2414 | 2580 | 1989 Argo I towed video |
| Omuro Hole | active, confirmed | arc volcano | Izu-Bonin Arc | 34.5467 | 139.4417 | 200 | 2012 ROV Hyper-Dolphin |
| Taketomi Thermal Area | active, confirmed | arc volcano | Ryukyu Arc | 24.3483 | 124.1017 | 23 | 1987 or earlier, likely by SCUBA |
| Mounds and Microbes | active, confirmed | mid-ocean ridge | N EPR | 9.4500 | -104.5383 | 2950 | 2002 submersible Alvin; 1994 submersible Alvin did not confirm activity |
| Tahi Moana 1 | active, confirmed | back-arc spreading center | Lau Basin | -20.6900 | -176.1800 | 2256 | 2008 commercial ROV; 2004 plume only |
| Main Endeavour Field | active, confirmed | mid-ocean ridge | JdF Ridge | 47.9487 | -129.0981 | 2220 | 1984 submersible Alvin; 1982 dredge only |
| Source | active, confirmed | mid-ocean ridge | JdF Ridge | 46.1550 | -129.8100 | 2055 | 1993 submersible Alvin |
| Hot Beach, Mendeleev Volcano | active, confirmed | arc volcano | Kuril Arc | 43.9760 | 145.7360 | 1 | 1990 or earlier, from the beach |
| Northwest Rota-1 volcano | active, confirmed | arc volcano | Mariana Arc | 14.6010 | 144.7750 | 599 | 2004 ROV ROPOS; 2003 plume only |
| 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 |
| Saguaro Field | active, confirmed | mid-ocean ridge | S EPR | -31.8500 | -112.0333 | 2330 | 1999 submersible Alvin; 1998 plume only |
| Precious Stone Mountain | active, confirmed | mid-ocean ridge | Galapagos Rift | 1.2200 | -101.4900 | 1700 | 2009 deep-tow video and TV grab |
| Mariana Mounds | active, confirmed | back-arc spreading center | Mariana Trough | 18.0333 | 144.2833 | 3600 | 1987 submersible Alvin |
| Pegasus | active, confirmed | mid-ocean ridge | Galapagos Rift | 0.7500 | -88.2000 | 2000 | 2011 ROV Little Hercules |
| CLSC, A3 | active, confirmed | back-arc spreading center | Lau Basin | -18.6000 | -176.4500 | 2500 | 1990 submersible Mir |
| Steinaholl Vent Field | active, confirmed | mid-ocean ridge | Reykjanes Ridge | 63.1000 | -24.5333 | 350 | 1990 plume, echosounding, and towed video; 1993 plume only (included echosounding for more precise location) |
| Kasuga 2 Seamount | active, confirmed | arc volcano | Mariana Arc | 21.6000 | 143.6167 | 500 | 1987 submersible Alvin |
| ABE | active, confirmed | back-arc spreading center | Lau Basin | -20.7619 | -176.1910 | 2220 | 2004 AUV ABE; 2004 plume only on previous cruise |
| DESMOS Cauldron | active, confirmed | back-arc spreading center | Manus Basin | -3.6958 | 151.8717 | 2000 | 1990 deep-sea monitoring system (DESMOS) video and still cameras |
| Troll Wall | active, confirmed | mid-ocean ridge | Mohns Ridge | 71.2833 | -5.7667 | 550 | 2005 ROV BIODEEP-05 cruise |
| Santorini | active, confirmed | arc volcano | Hellenic Arc, Aegean Sea | 36.4333 | 25.4000 | 400 | 1960's, likely by SCUBA; 2006 deeper vents HOV Thetis and AUV SeaBED |
| Axial Seamount, ASHES | active, confirmed | mid-ocean ridge | JdF Ridge | 45.9333 | -130.0140 | 1540 | 1984 submersible Alvin |
| Milos | active, confirmed | arc volcano | Hellenic Arc, Aegean Sea | 36.6667 | 24.5167 | 200 | 1987 or earlier, likely by SCUBA; 1992 Minirover ROV deeper sites |
| Loki's Castle | active, confirmed | mid-ocean ridge | Mohns Ridge | 73.5500 | 8.1500 | 2400 | 2008 ROV Bathysaurus |
| Solwara 11 | active, confirmed | back-arc spreading center | Manus Basin | -3.1667 | 147.1917 | 1500 | 2008 commercial ROV; 2000 submersible Nautile did not confirm activity |
| East Diamante volcano | active, confirmed | arc volcano | Mariana Arc | 15.9300 | 145.6700 | 457 | 2004 ROV ROPOS; 2003 plume only |
| 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 |
| Vienna Woods | active, confirmed | back-arc spreading center | Manus Basin | -3.1667 | 150.2833 | 2500 | 1990 TV-grab (also same year, sampled by submersible Mir); 1985 (or 1986) camera tow vent fauna and inactive chimneys |
| EPR, 1.4 S, off-axis | active, confirmed | mid-ocean ridge | S EPR | -1.3690 | -102.4560 | 3000 | 2008 towed video |
| 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 |