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
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
Baby Bare Seamount active, confirmed mid-ocean ridge JdF Ridge 47.7100 -127.7870 2600 1995 submersible Alvin
Irinovskoye active, confirmed mid-ocean ridge N MAR 13.3327 -44.9099 3000 2013 ROV Victor6000; 2007 dredge only; 2009 or 2011 did not confirm
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
EPR, 18 10'S active, confirmed mid-ocean ridge S EPR -18.1700 -113.3440 2700 1993 submersible Nautile; 1983 temperature and light attenuation anomalies
White Island active, confirmed back-arc spreading center Taupo Volcanic Zone -37.5191 177.1953 30 1989 or earlier, likely SCUBA
Niuatahi active, confirmed back-arc spreading center Lau Basin -15.3790 -174.0196 1635 2009 ROV Jason II; 2003 plume only; 2004 dredging (SS11/2004 cruise); 2005 plume only; 2008 commercial ROV (report does not confirm activity)
Nifonea Ridge active, confirmed back-arc spreading center New Hebrides back-arc -18.1330 169.5170 1900 2001 towed video; 2013 ROV Kiel 6000 black smokers
Kagoshima Bay active, confirmed arc volcano Ryukyu Arc 31.6583 130.8000 200 1993 towed TV system (Haorimushi site); 2007 ROV Hyper-dolphin (Tagiri site)
Niua South active, confirmed arc volcano Tonga Arc -15.1650 -173.5700 1180 2008 commercial ROV
Alice Springs Field active, confirmed back-arc spreading center Mariana Trough 18.2103 144.7073 3640 1987 submersible Alvin; 1982 plume only
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
Espalamaca active, confirmed intra-plate volcano 38.5500 -28.6000 50 2010 or earlier likely SCUBA
Rainbow active, confirmed mid-ocean ridge N MAR 36.2300 -33.9020 2320 1997 submersible Nautile
Stanton Seamount active, confirmed arc volcano New Hebrides Arc -10.8670 166.7000 800 2002 towed video
Futagoyama active, confirmed back-arc spreading center Okinawa Trough 24.8674 123.3081 1270 2016 ROV Kaiko dive 717
Panarea active, confirmed arc volcano Aeolian Arc, Tyrrhenian Sea 38.6583 15.1000 200 1800's shallow vents; 1995 deeper vents ROV Comex
Logatchev-2 active, confirmed mid-ocean ridge N MAR 14.7200 -44.9380 2760 2007 ROV VICTOR 6000; 1993-1994 TV grab and towed photo system did not confirm activity; 1996-1998 video imaging and sampling did not confirm activity
Kick'em Jenny submarine volcano active, confirmed arc volcano Lesser Antilles Arc 12.2833 -61.6667 265 2003 ROV Eastern Oceanics; 1989 submersible Johnson-Sea-Link II (did not confirm activity); 2001 plume only
Snail active, confirmed back-arc spreading center Mariana Trough 12.9533 143.6200 2880 2003 ROV Jason II; 2003 plume only
Dodo Field active, confirmed mid-ocean ridge CIR -18.3470 65.3050 2730 2009 submersible Shinkai 6500; 2006 plume only
FRSC, Fonualei South active, confirmed back-arc spreading center Lau Basin -17.5352 -174.5668 1620 2012 ROV Quest 4000
Forecast active, confirmed arc volcano Mariana Arc 13.4000 143.9166 1470 1992 submersible Shinkai 6500
Grimsey Field active, confirmed mid-ocean ridge Kolbeinsey Ridge 66.6067 -17.6542 400 1997 submersible Jago
Mariana Trough, Central Trough active, confirmed back-arc spreading center Mariana Trough 18.0467 144.7533 3676 1987 submersible Alvin
Mariana Trough, 15.5 N active, confirmed back-arc spreading center Mariana Trough 15.4080 144.5090 4196 2015 plume only, 2016 ROV did not confirm
Kodakara-jima active, confirmed arc volcano Ryukyu Arc 29.2166 129.3333 10 1993 or earlier, likely by SCUBA
Macauley Caldera active, confirmed arc volcano Kermadec Arc -30.2140 -178.7210 500 2002 towed camera TAN0205 cruise
Clark volcano active, confirmed arc volcano Kermadec Arc -36.4490 177.8400 930 2005 submersible Pisces V; 1999 plume only
EPR, 1.4 S, off-axis active, confirmed mid-ocean ridge S EPR -1.3690 -102.4560 3000 2008 towed video

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