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 Latitudesort descending Longitude Maximum or Single Reported Depth Year and How Discovered
Snake Pit active, confirmed mid-ocean ridge N MAR 23.3683 -44.9500 3500 1985 real-time TV and imaging sonar; earlier in 1985 seafloor photographs did not confirm activity
Alarcon Rise, Ja Sit active, confirmed mid-ocean ridge Gulf of California 23.3765 -108.5315 2304 2012 ROV Doc Ricketts
Minami-Hiyoshi submarine volcano active, confirmed arc volcano Mariana Arc 23.4970 141.9400 80 2005 ROV HyperDolphin
MAR, 23 35'N inactive mid-ocean ridge N MAR 23.5833 -45.0000 3500 1980 submersible Alvin did not observe hydrothermal activity
Alarcon Rise/Pescadero intersection active, inferred mid-ocean ridge Gulf of California 23.6423 -108.3948 2384 2015 ROV Doc Ricketts did not confirm activity
Pescadero Basin, Auka active, confirmed mid-ocean ridge Gulf of California 23.9567 -108.8618 3685 2015 ROV Doc Ricketts; 1990 or earlier plume only
Taketomi Thermal Area active, confirmed arc volcano Ryukyu Arc 24.3483 124.1017 23 1987 or earlier, likely by SCUBA
MAR, 24 20'N inactive mid-ocean ridge N MAR 24.3500 -46.2000 3200 NotProvided
MAR, 24 30'N inactive mid-ocean ridge N MAR 24.5000 -46.1533 3900 1987 deposits only
Kebrit Deep active, inferred mid-ocean ridge Red Sea 24.7233 36.2767 1590 1972 deposits only
Kueishan Island active, confirmed back-arc spreading center Okinawa Trough 24.8333 121.9500 30 1999, likely by SCUBA
Kueishan Island, offshore active, confirmed back-arc spreading center Okinawa Trough 24.8333 122.0000 1200 2008 or earlier
SPOT, Yonaguni Knoll IV active, confirmed back-arc spreading center Okinawa Trough 24.8490 122.7000 1385 2000 submersibles Shinkai 2000 and Shinkai 6500
SPOT, Hatoma Knoll active, confirmed back-arc spreading center Okinawa Trough 24.8550 123.8410 1520 1999 submersible Shinkai 2000
Futagoyama active, confirmed back-arc spreading center Okinawa Trough 24.8674 123.3081 1270 2016 ROV Kaiko dive 717
Tangyin active, inferred back-arc spreading center Okinawa Trough 25.0667 122.5667 1206 2014 likely by dredging or ROV during the HOBAB3 cruise on R/V Kexue
Tarama Knoll active, confirmed back-arc spreading center Okinawa Trough 25.0916 124.5416 1990 2009 ROV HyperDolphin
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
Yokosuka active, confirmed back-arc spreading center Okinawa Trough 25.2638 124.3733 2190 2016 ROV Kaiko; 2014 plume only
MAR, 25 50'N inactive mid-ocean ridge N MAR 25.8083 -44.9833 3000 NotProvided
TAG active, confirmed mid-ocean ridge N MAR 26.1367 -44.8267 3670 1985 towed camera and temperature anomaly; 1986 submersible Alvin
Shaban Deep active, inferred mid-ocean ridge Red Sea 26.2250 35.3500 1540 1983 deposits only
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
Higa active, confirmed back-arc spreading center Okinawa Trough 26.5550 126.2233 1485 2015 ROV Kaiko
Bahia Concepcion active, confirmed other Coastal Baja California 26.6667 -111.8333 15 1968 or earlier, likely by SCUBA
Kaikata Seamount active, confirmed arc volcano Izu-Bonin Arc 26.7000 141.0833 930 1988 submersible Shinkai 2000; 1985 dredge only
MAR, 27 N active, inferred mid-ocean ridge N MAR 27.0000 -44.5000 2900 1993 plume only
Guaymas Basin, Southern Trough active, confirmed mid-ocean ridge Gulf of California 27.0148 -111.4109 2000 1982 submersible Alvin; 1980 DeepTow CTD and dredging
Nishinoshima Island active, inferred arc volcano Izu-Bonin Arc 27.2367 140.8783 5 1975 SCUBA
Izena Cauldron active, confirmed back-arc spreading center Okinawa Trough 27.2667 127.0833 1610 1988 submersible Shinkai 2000

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