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 ascending Tectonic Setting Region Latitude Longitude Maximum or Single Reported Depth Year and How Discovered
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;
FRSC, Fonualei South active, confirmed back-arc spreading center Lau Basin -17.5352 -174.5668 1620 2012 ROV Quest 4000
Iguanas-Pinguinos active, confirmed mid-ocean ridge Galapagos Rift 2.1000 -91.9350 1640 2005 towed video Medea
EPR, 13 N active, confirmed mid-ocean ridge N EPR 12.8333 -103.9500 2630 1982 submersible Cyana; 1981 towed camera, dredging, and plume did not confirm activity
MAR, 4 48'S active, confirmed mid-ocean ridge S MAR -4.8058 -12.3742 3050 2005 AUV ABE (cruise CD169 ) followed by ROV Quest (cruise M64/1)
Nolan's Nook active, confirmed mid-ocean ridge S EPR -31.1500 -111.9167 2330 1999 submersible Alvin; 1998 plume only
Axial Seamount, ASHES active, confirmed mid-ocean ridge JdF Ridge 45.9333 -130.0140 1540 1984 submersible Alvin
West Mata submarine volcano active, confirmed arc volcano Tonga Arc -15.0950 -173.7500 1208 2009 ROV Jason II; 2008 eruption plume detected
Feather Duster active, confirmed mid-ocean ridge N EPR 10.9267 -103.6767 2520 1984 towed camera and submersible Alvin
Kasuga 3 Seamount active, confirmed arc volcano Mariana Arc 21.3833 143.6000 1140 1987 submersible Alvin
Giggenbach volcano active, confirmed arc volcano Kermadec Arc -30.0333 -178.7167 180 2005 submersible PISCES V; 2002 plume only
Minami-Hiyoshi submarine volcano active, confirmed arc volcano Mariana Arc 23.4970 141.9400 80 2005 ROV HyperDolphin
Mata Tolu active, confirmed arc volcano Lau Basin -15.0049 -173.7936 1900 2010 towed camera; 2009 plume and dredge only
Suiyo Seamount active, confirmed arc volcano Izu-Bonin Arc 28.5750 140.6417 1380 1991 submersible Shinkai 2000
Loki's Castle active, confirmed mid-ocean ridge Mohns Ridge 73.5500 8.1500 2400 2008 ROV Bathysaurus
SPOT, Hatoma Knoll active, confirmed back-arc spreading center Okinawa Trough 24.8550 123.8410 1520 1999 submersible Shinkai 2000
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
Bahia Concepcion active, confirmed other Coastal Baja California 26.6667 -111.8333 15 1968 or earlier, likely by SCUBA
Irabu Knoll active, confirmed back-arc spreading center Okinawa Trough 25.2300 124.8800 1850 2000 submersible Shinkai 6500; 1986 seafloor photos did not confirm activity
Havre active, confirmed arc volcano Kermadec Arc -31.0970 -179.0340 1505 2015 ROV Jason II; 2002 plume only
Mussel Valley active, confirmed back-arc spreading center North Fiji Basin -18.8167 173.4833 2700 1989 submersible Nautile; 1987 plume; 1988 towed camera did not confirm activity
Troll Wall active, confirmed mid-ocean ridge Mohns Ridge 71.2833 -5.7667 550 2005 ROV BIODEEP-05 cruise
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
Ringvent active, confirmed mid-ocean ridge Gulf of California 27.5083 -111.6792 1740 2016 submersible Alvin; 2009 towed camera/CTD/bottles
Central Cleft, off-axis active, confirmed mid-ocean ridge JdF Ridge 44.7583 -130.2750 2200 2000 ROV Tiburon
Adventure Caldera active, confirmed arc volcano South Sandwich Arc -59.7210 -27.8571 520 2011 SHRIMP towed camera system; 2010 high resolution bathymetry only
Kueishan Island, offshore active, confirmed back-arc spreading center Okinawa Trough 24.8333 122.0000 1200 2008 or earlier
Higa active, confirmed back-arc spreading center Okinawa Trough 26.5550 126.2233 1485 2015 ROV Kaiko
West Rota volcano active, confirmed arc volcano Mariana Arc 14.3250 144.8330 1150 2005 ROV Hyper-Dolphin; 2003 plume only; 2004 ROV ROPOS did not observe venting
TAG active, confirmed mid-ocean ridge N MAR 26.1367 -44.8267 3670 1985 towed camera and temperature anomaly; 1986 submersible Alvin

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