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 Activitysort descending Tectonic Setting Region Latitude Longitude Maximum or Single Reported Depth Year and How Discovered
Loki's Castle active, confirmed mid-ocean ridge Mohns Ridge 73.5500 8.1500 2400 2008 ROV Bathysaurus
Mariner active, confirmed back-arc spreading center Lau Basin -22.1800 -176.6017 1910 2003 plume and camera tow; 2004 submersible Shinkai 6500
Deception Island active, confirmed back-arc spreading center Bransfield Strait -62.9500 -60.6500 100 1995 or earlier intertidal
South Cleft active, confirmed mid-ocean ridge JdF Ridge 44.6667 -130.3667 2250 1981 deep-tow photographs; 1984 submersible Alvin
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
Calypso Vents active, confirmed back-arc spreading center Taupo Volcanic Zone -37.6800 177.1170 200 1989 submersible Soucoup
Temakons active, confirmed back-arc spreading center New Hebrides back-arc -17.5667 169.1000 1400 1994 towed camera with temperature
Nolan's Nook active, confirmed mid-ocean ridge S EPR -31.1500 -111.9167 2330 1999 submersible Alvin; 1998 plume only
Menez Hom active, confirmed mid-ocean ridge N MAR 37.1500 -32.4333 1802 2002 ROV Victor 6000
Yali active, confirmed arc volcano Hellenic Arc, Aegean Sea 36.6600 27.1300 3 1991 or earlier, from beach
Tow Cam active, confirmed back-arc spreading center Lau Basin -20.3169 -176.1367 2700 2004 AUV ABE; 2004 plume only on previous cruise
Alarcon Rise, Meyibo active, confirmed mid-ocean ridge Gulf of California 23.3553 -108.5443 2295 2012 ROV Doc Ricketts
Ashadze-2 active, confirmed mid-ocean ridge N MAR 12.9917 -44.9067 3300 2007 ROV Victor 6000; 2005 TV profiling, plume, and dredge did not confirm activity
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
Manuk Island active, confirmed arc volcano Banda/Sunda Arc -5.5300 130.2920 2
Monowai Caldera active, confirmed arc volcano Tonga Arc -25.8000 -177.1500 1165 2005 with submersibles PISCES IV and PISCES V and ROV RCV-150; 2004 plume only
Higashi-Ensei active, confirmed back-arc spreading center Okinawa Trough 28.4393 128.1724 1220 2016 ROV Kaiko dives 723 and 724
Northwest Rota-1 volcano active, confirmed arc volcano Mariana Arc 14.6010 144.7750 599 2004 ROV ROPOS; 2003 plume only
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
Hook Ridge active, confirmed back-arc spreading center Bransfield Strait -62.1940 -57.2745 1080 1997 hot sediment; 1995 plume only; 1999 even hotter sediment
Sea Cliff active, confirmed mid-ocean ridge Gorda Ridge 42.7550 -126.7083 2800 1988 submersible Sea Cliff; 1985 plume only; 1986 dredge and camera tow did not confirm activity
EPR, 11 42'N active, confirmed mid-ocean ridge N EPR 11.7000 -103.8500 2580 1984 Angus camera (or 1985 Argo video) tow with temperature
EPR, 26.5 S active, confirmed mid-ocean ridge S EPR -26.4833 -112.6250 2064 1993 submersible Nautile (or earlier)
Vulcano active, confirmed arc volcano Aeolian Arc, Tyrrhenian Sea 38.4000 15.0000 8 1960's shallow vents
Central Cleft, off-axis active, confirmed mid-ocean ridge JdF Ridge 44.7583 -130.2750 2200 2000 ROV Tiburon
Lost City active, confirmed mid-ocean ridge N MAR 30.1250 -42.1183 800 2000 towed video ARGO-II and submersible Alvin
Semyenov-2 active, confirmed mid-ocean ridge N MAR 13.5137 -44.9630 2440 2009 TV grab and photo-TV profiling; 2007 deposits only
White Island active, confirmed back-arc spreading center Taupo Volcanic Zone -37.5191 177.1953 30 1989 or earlier, likely SCUBA
Capo Miseno, Gulf of Naples active, confirmed other Coastal Italy 40.7833 14.0833 20 1982 or earlier, likely by SCUBA
Teotihuacan active, confirmed mid-ocean ridge N EPR 15.7333 -105.4333 2300 2010 submersible Nautile; 1997 plume only

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