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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ESR, E2 | active, confirmed | back-arc spreading center | East Scotia Ridge | -56.0917 | -30.3250 | 2641 | 2009 towed video; 1999 plume only; 2010 ROV Isis |
| 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 |
| Tow Cam | active, confirmed | back-arc spreading center | Lau Basin | -20.3169 | -176.1367 | 2700 | 2004 AUV ABE; 2004 plume only on previous cruise |
| Jaco Scar | active, confirmed | arc volcano | Costa Rica fore arc | 9.1175 | -84.8397 | 1790 | 2009 submersible Alvin |
| Tonga Arc, Volcano 18 | active, confirmed | arc volcano | Tonga Arc | -24.5850 | -176.9170 | 1465 | 2011 ROV MAGNUM; 2003 plume and dredge only |
| 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) |
| Bubbylon | active, confirmed | mid-ocean ridge | N MAR | 37.8000 | -31.5333 | 1000 | 2010 ROV MARUM-QUEST, same cruise as plume discovered by multibeam echosounder |
| Ringvent | active, confirmed | mid-ocean ridge | Gulf of California | 27.5083 | -111.6792 | 1740 | 2016 submersible Alvin; 2009 towed camera/CTD/bottles |
| Beebe | active, confirmed | mid-ocean ridge | Mid-Cayman Rise | 18.5466 | -81.7182 | 4957 | 2010 AUV Autosub6000 and HyBIS TVG; 2009 plume only |
| FRSC, Fonualei South | active, confirmed | back-arc spreading center | Lau Basin | -17.5352 | -174.5668 | 1550 | 2012 ROV Quest 4000 |
| Saguaro Field | active, confirmed | mid-ocean ridge | S EPR | -31.8500 | -112.0333 | 2330 | 1999 submersible Alvin; 1998 plume only |
| TAG | active, confirmed | mid-ocean ridge | N MAR | 26.1367 | -44.8267 | 3670 | 1985 towed camera and temperature anomaly; 1986 submersible Alvin |
| Mata Tolu | active, confirmed | arc volcano | Lau Basin | -15.0049 | -173.7936 | 1840 | 2010 towed camera; 2009 plume and dredge only |
| White Point, Palos Verde, California | active, confirmed | other | Coastal California | 33.7000 | -118.3167 | 10 | 1984 or earlier, likely by SCUBA |
| Perseverance | active, confirmed | back-arc spreading center | Mariana Trough | 15.4802 | 144.5077 | 3935 | 2016 ROV SuBastian; 2015 AUV Sentry plume mapping |
| Magic Mountain | active, confirmed | mid-ocean ridge | Explorer Ridge | 49.7500 | -130.2667 | 1850 | 1984 submersible Pisces IV |
| Northwest Rota-1 volcano | active, confirmed | arc volcano | Mariana Arc | 14.6010 | 144.7750 | 599 | 2004 ROV ROPOS; 2003 plume only |
| EPR, 1.4 S, off-axis | active, confirmed | mid-ocean ridge | S EPR | -1.3690 | -102.4560 | 3000 | 2008 towed video |
| Lilliput | active, confirmed | mid-ocean ridge | S MAR | -9.5500 | -13.1800 | 1500 | 2005 ROV Quest |
| Champagne Hot Springs | active, confirmed | arc volcano | Lesser Antilles Arc | 15.2500 | -61.3830 | 5 | 2001 or earlier (assume SCUBA) |
| Milos | active, confirmed | arc volcano | Hellenic Arc, Aegean Sea | 36.6667 | 24.5167 | 200 | 1987 or earlier, likely by SCUBA; 1992 Minirover ROV deeper sites |
| EPR, 7 25'S | active, confirmed | mid-ocean ridge | S EPR | -7.4167 | -107.8000 | 2750 | 1985/86 or 1989 TV grab (need to check references to confirm activity); 1998 submersible Alvin |
| Tonga Arc, Volcano 1 | active, confirmed | arc volcano | Tonga Arc | -21.1500 | -175.7500 | 210 | 2005 with submersibles PISCES IV and PISCES V and ROV RCV-150; 2003 plume and dredge only |
| Kagamil Island | active, confirmed | arc volcano | Aleutian Arc, western | 52.9800 | -169.7200 | 5 | 2007 SCUBA |
| Tonga Arc, Volcano 19 | active, confirmed | arc volcano | Tonga Arc | -24.8000 | -177.0167 | 970 | 2005 with submersibles PISCES IV and PISCES V and ROV RCV-150; 2003 plume and dredge only |
| Pegasus | active, confirmed | mid-ocean ridge | Galapagos Rift | 0.7500 | -88.2000 | 2000 | 2011 ROV Little Hercules |
| High-Rise Field | active, confirmed | mid-ocean ridge | JdF Ridge | 47.9666 | -129.0894 | 2200 | 1988 submersible Alvin |
| Dodo Field | active, confirmed | mid-ocean ridge | CIR | -18.3470 | 65.3050 | 2730 | 2009 submersible Shinkai 6500; 2006 plume only |
| 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 |
| Eyjafjördur | active, confirmed | mid-ocean ridge | Kolbeinsey Ridge | 65.8500 | -18.1333 | 65 | 1997, likely by SCUBA |