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 Discoveredsort descending
Manuk Island active, confirmed arc volcano Banda/Sunda Arc -5.5300 130.2920 2
Panarea active, confirmed arc volcano Aeolian Arc, Tyrrhenian Sea 38.6583 15.1000 200 1800's shallow vents; 1995 deeper vents ROV Comex
Ischia Island, Gulf of Naples active, confirmed other Coastal Italy 40.7306 13.9500 10 1954 or earlier, from the beach
Punta Banda active, confirmed other Coastal Baja California 31.7500 -116.7500 30 1960's commercial abalone divers
Vulcano active, confirmed arc volcano Aeolian Arc, Tyrrhenian Sea 38.4000 15.0000 8 1960's shallow vents
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
Matupi Harbour, Rabaul caldera, New Britain Island active, confirmed arc volcano Bismarck Arc -4.2700 152.2000 30 1961 or earlier intertidal
Atlantis II Deep active, inferred mid-ocean ridge Red Sea 21.3417 38.0750 2200 1965 "confirmed" hot brine and cored seafloor, but see Table 1 in Miller et al. (1966) for historical measurements
Discovery Deep active, inferred mid-ocean ridge Red Sea 21.2830 38.0500 2100 1965 "confirmed" hot brine and cored seafloor, but see Table 1 in Miller et al. (1966) for historical measurements
Bahia Concepcion active, confirmed other Coastal Baja California 26.6667 -111.8333 15 1968 or earlier, likely by SCUBA
Stromboli active, inferred arc volcano Aeolian Arc, Tyrrhenian Sea 38.7890 15.2130 250 1969 Fe crusts only
Explorer Deep inactive mid-ocean ridge Explorer Ridge 50.1000 -129.7500 3200 1969, deposits only
Kebrit Deep active, inferred mid-ocean ridge Red Sea 24.7233 36.2767 1590 1972 deposits only
Suakin Deep active, inferred mid-ocean ridge Red Sea 19.6333 38.7333 2850 1972 deposits only
Nereus Deep active, inferred mid-ocean ridge Red Sea 23.1670 37.2830 2400 1972 deposits only
Dellwood Seamount inactive mid-ocean ridge Explorer Ridge 50.7470 -130.8961 800 1974 or earlier deposits only; 2018 ROV Hercules inactive
Peggy Ridge active, inferred back-arc spreading center Lau Basin -16.9233 -176.8250 1900 1975 or earlier rock samples only; inactive in systematic survey on Arculus cruise SS07/2008
Nishinoshima Island active, inferred arc volcano Izu-Bonin Arc 27.2367 140.8783 5 1975 SCUBA
Eolo Seamount active, inferred arc volcano Aeolian Arc, Tyrrhenian Sea 38.5800 14.1667 800 1976 Fe crusts only; 2007 plume only; 2011 ROV Hercules but can not confirm based on Carey et al. (2012)
Galapagos Mounds active, confirmed mid-ocean ridge Galapagos Rift 1.4500 -86.1665 2700 1977 submersible Alvin
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)
Guaymas Basin, Northern Trough inactive mid-ocean ridge Gulf of California 27.3050 -111.5067 2000 1977 submersible Seacliff (hydrothermal deposits only)
Vulkanolog active, confirmed arc volcano Kermadec Arc -30.6870 -178.4530 130 1979 and 1998 (need to check references); 2002 plume not detected NZAPLUME II
Prony Bay active, confirmed other -22.3333 166.8333 50 1979 or earlier, likely SCUBA
Vityaz megamullion active, inferred mid-ocean ridge CIR -5.4000 68.5833 3500 1979 plume and deposits only
EPR/Tamayo intersection active, inferred mid-ocean ridge N EPR 22.9333 -108.0667 3200 1979 submersible Alvin did not confirm activity
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
Kolbeinsey Ridge, 69 N active, inferred mid-ocean ridge Kolbeinsey Ridge 68.7581 -16.0000 1200 1980 or earlier sediments only
MAR, 23 35'N inactive mid-ocean ridge N MAR 23.5833 -45.0000 3500 1980 submersible Alvin did not observe hydrothermal activity
Red Sea Rift, 18 N active, inferred mid-ocean ridge Red Sea 17.9667 40.0667 1500 1980 submersible Pisces XI (deposits only)

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