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, 11 17'N | active, confirmed | mid-ocean ridge | N EPR | 11.2833 | -103.7583 | 2560 | 1984 Angus camera (or 1985 Argo video) tow with temperature |
| Ruby | active, confirmed | arc volcano | Mariana Arc | 15.6200 | 145.5700 | 214 | 2006 ROV Jason II; 2003 plume only |
| ESR, E9 | active, confirmed | back-arc spreading center | East Scotia Ridge | -60.0500 | -29.9300 | 2402 | 2009 towed video; 1999 plume only; 2010 ROV Isis |
| Tarama Knoll | active, confirmed | back-arc spreading center | Okinawa Trough | 25.0916 | 124.5416 | 1990 | 2009 ROV HyperDolphin |
| Loki's Castle | active, confirmed | mid-ocean ridge | Mohns Ridge | 73.5500 | 8.1500 | 2400 | 2008 ROV Bathysaurus |
| Franklin Seamount | active, confirmed | back-arc spreading center | Woodlark Basin | -9.9083 | 151.8300 | 2366 | 1990 submersible Mir |
| Kagoshima Bay | active, confirmed | arc volcano | Ryukyu Arc | 31.6583 | 130.8000 | 200 | 1993 towed TV system (Haorimushi site); 2007 ROV Hyper-dolphin (Tagiri site) |
| NESCA | active, confirmed | mid-ocean ridge | Gorda Ridge | 41.0000 | -127.4917 | 3300 | 1988 submersible Alvin; 1986 dredge and photographs did not confirm activity |
| SuSu Knolls | active, confirmed | back-arc spreading center | Manus Basin | -3.8000 | 152.1000 | 1520 | 1996 towed camera/video; 1993 plume only |
| EPR, 18 10'S | active, confirmed | mid-ocean ridge | S EPR | -18.1700 | -113.3440 | 2700 | 1993 submersible Nautile; 1983 temperature and light attenuation anomalies |
| Mariana Trough, Central Trough | active, confirmed | back-arc spreading center | Mariana Trough | 18.0467 | 144.7533 | 3676 | 1987 submersible Alvin |
| Tempus Fugit | active, confirmed | mid-ocean ridge | Galapagos Rift | 0.7683 | -85.9100 | 2560 | 2011 ROV Little Hercules |
| Rainbow | active, confirmed | mid-ocean ridge | N MAR | 36.2300 | -33.9020 | 2320 | 1997 submersible Nautile |
| Maka | active, confirmed | back-arc spreading center | Lau Basin | -15.4217 | -174.2850 | 1660 | 2008 commercial ROV; 2004 plume only; 2006 plume and chimney samples |
| Middle Valley, Dead Dog Vent Field | active, confirmed | mid-ocean ridge | JdF Ridge | 48.4560 | -128.7088 | 2450 | 1990 HOV Alvin |
| Futagoyama | active, confirmed | back-arc spreading center | Okinawa Trough | 24.8674 | 123.3081 | 1270 | 2016 ROV Kaiko dive 717 |
| Vulcano | active, confirmed | arc volcano | Aeolian Arc, Tyrrhenian Sea | 38.4000 | 15.0000 | 8 | 1960's shallow vents |
| Akuseki-jima | active, confirmed | arc volcano | Ryukyu Arc | 29.4610 | 129.5970 | 5 | 1993 or earlier, likely by SCUBA |
| Kick'em Jenny submarine volcano | active, confirmed | arc volcano | Lesser Antilles Arc | 12.2833 | -61.6667 | 265 | 2003 ROV Eastern Oceanics; 1989 submersible Johnson-Sea-Link II (did not confirm activity); 2001 plume only |
| North Cleft, low temperature | active, confirmed | mid-ocean ridge | JdF Ridge | 44.8833 | -130.2667 | 2250 | 1987-1989 camera/CTD tows |
| Tutum Bay, Ambitle Island | active, confirmed | arc volcano | Tabar-Feni Arc | -4.0833 | 153.5500 | 10 | 1996 or earlier, likely by SCUBA |
| Omuro Hole | active, confirmed | arc volcano | Izu-Bonin Arc | 34.5467 | 139.4417 | 200 | 2012 ROV Hyper-Dolphin |
| Axial Seamount, International District | active, confirmed | mid-ocean ridge | JdF Ridge | 45.9266 | -129.9795 | 1544 | 1986 submersible Pisces IV |
| Si'iSi'i | active, confirmed | back-arc spreading center | Lau Basin | -22.2900 | -176.6290 | 1950 | 2008 commercial ROV; 2003 plume only |
| EPR, 11 18'S | active, confirmed | mid-ocean ridge | S EPR | -11.3000 | -110.5300 | 2650 | 1985/86 or 1989 TV grab (need to check references to confirm activity); 1998 submersible Alvin |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| Capo Miseno, Gulf of Naples | active, confirmed | other | Coastal Italy | 40.7833 | 14.0833 | 20 | 1982 or earlier, likely by SCUBA |
| Evan | active, confirmed | mid-ocean ridge | N MAR | 37.2667 | -32.2833 | 1775 | 2006 submersible Nautile |
| Hine Hina | active, confirmed | back-arc spreading center | Lau Basin | -22.5300 | -176.6970 | 1900 | 1989 submersible Nautile |