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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Red Seamount | active, confirmed | mid-ocean ridge | N EPR | 20.8033 | -109.3783 | 2000 | 1982 submersible Alvin |
| NESCA | active, confirmed | mid-ocean ridge | Gorda Ridge | 41.0000 | -127.4917 | 3300 | 1988 submersible Alvin; 1986 dredge and photographs did not confirm activity |
| EPR, 10 02'N | active, confirmed | mid-ocean ridge | N EPR | 10.0330 | -104.3300 | 2560 | 1992 submersible Alvin |
| Mariana Trough, 15.5 N | active, confirmed | back-arc spreading center | Mariana Trough | 15.4080 | 144.5090 | 4196 | 2015 plume only, 2016 ROV did not confirm |
| Flow | active, confirmed | mid-ocean ridge | JdF Ridge | 46.5250 | -129.5783 | 2390 | 1993 ROV ROPOS |
| 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 |
| Sasquatch Field | active, confirmed | mid-ocean ridge | JdF Ridge | 47.9969 | -129.0662 | 2200 | 2000 submersible Alvin |
| Middle Valley, Bent Hill Massive Sulfide | active, confirmed | mid-ocean ridge | JdF Ridge | 48.4341 | -128.6812 | 2440 | 1990 HOV Alvin, 1985 deposits only |
| Axial Seamount, International District | active, confirmed | mid-ocean ridge | JdF Ridge | 45.9266 | -129.9795 | 1544 | 1986 submersible Pisces IV |
| EPR, 9 30'N | active, confirmed | mid-ocean ridge | N EPR | 9.5167 | -104.2414 | 2580 | 1989 Argo I towed video |
| North Cleft, low temperature | active, confirmed | mid-ocean ridge | JdF Ridge | 44.8833 | -130.2667 | 2250 | 1987-1989 camera/CTD tows |
| Ringvent | active, confirmed | mid-ocean ridge | Gulf of California | 27.5083 | -111.6792 | 1740 | 2016 submersible Alvin; 2009 towed camera/CTD/bottles |
| Chamorro volcano | active, confirmed | arc volcano | Mariana Arc | 20.8100 | 144.7050 | 896 | 2016 ROV Deep Discoverer; 2003 plume only |
| Mothra Field | active, confirmed | mid-ocean ridge | JdF Ridge | 47.9233 | -129.1082 | 2270 | 1996 ROV ROPOS; 1986 plume only |
| 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; |
| Pika | active, confirmed | back-arc spreading center | Mariana Trough | 12.9183 | 143.6483 | 2990 | 2003 submersible Shinkai 6500; 2003 plume only |
| Grimsey Field | active, confirmed | mid-ocean ridge | Kolbeinsey Ridge | 66.6067 | -17.6542 | 400 | 1997 submersible Jago |
| Magic Mountain | active, confirmed | mid-ocean ridge | Explorer Ridge | 49.7500 | -130.2667 | 1850 | 1984 submersible Pisces IV |
| 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 |
| Prony Bay | active, confirmed | other | -22.3333 | 166.8333 | 50 | 1979 or earlier, likely SCUBA | |
| Suiyo Seamount | active, confirmed | arc volcano | Izu-Bonin Arc | 28.5750 | 140.6417 | 1380 | 1991 submersible Shinkai 2000 |
| EPR, 13 N, Marginal High | active, confirmed | mid-ocean ridge | N EPR | 12.7090 | -103.9160 | 2650 | 1984 submersible Cyana; 1981 towed camera, dredging, and plume did not confirm activity |
| SPOT, Hatoma Knoll | active, confirmed | back-arc spreading center | Okinawa Trough | 24.8550 | 123.8410 | 1520 | 1999 submersible Shinkai 2000 |
| Ischia Island, Gulf of Naples | active, confirmed | other | Coastal Italy | 40.7306 | 13.9500 | 10 | 1954 or earlier, from the beach |
| Daisan-Kume Knoll | active, confirmed | arc volcano | Ryukyu Arc | 26.3020 | 126.4125 | 1370 | 2015 ROV Kaiko; 2014 ROV Hyper Dolphin 3000 Dive 1761 may have confirmed; 2014 AUV temperature anomaly |
| TAG | active, confirmed | mid-ocean ridge | N MAR | 26.1367 | -44.8267 | 3670 | 1985 towed camera and temperature anomaly; 1986 submersible Alvin |
| Marsili | active, confirmed | back-arc spreading center | Tyrrhenian Back-Arc Basin, Tyrrhenian Sea | 39.2600 | 14.3780 | 800 | 2006 ROV Cherokee; 1989 shimmering water but did not confirm activity |
| East Blanco Depression | active, confirmed | mid-ocean ridge | JdF Ridge | 44.2170 | -129.6250 | 3460 | 1994 ROV U.S. Navy's Advanced Tethered Vehicle |
| EPR, 21 25'S | active, confirmed | mid-ocean ridge | S EPR | -21.4333 | -114.2917 | 2850 | 1984 submersible Cyana; 1983 deposits only |
| Central Cleft, off-axis | active, confirmed | mid-ocean ridge | JdF Ridge | 44.7583 | -130.2750 | 2200 | 2000 ROV Tiburon |