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, 9 40'N active, confirmed mid-ocean ridge N EPR 9.6500 -104.2600 2572 1989 Argo I towed video; 1991 submersible Alvin
EPR, 23 50'S active, confirmed mid-ocean ridge S EPR -23.8233 -115.4558 2650 2005 submersible Alvin; 1990 or earlier towed TV camera did not confirm activity
Lucky Strike active, confirmed mid-ocean ridge N MAR 37.2933 -32.2733 1740 1993 submersible Alvin; 1992 dredge and plume only
Prony Bay active, confirmed other -22.3333 166.8333 50 1979 or earlier, likely SCUBA
Mata Tolu active, confirmed arc volcano Lau Basin -15.0049 -173.7936 1900 2010 towed camera; 2009 plume and dredge only
Doyo Seamount active, confirmed arc volcano Izu-Bonin Arc 27.6833 140.8167 520 1990 submersible Shinkai 2000
Bahia Concepcion active, confirmed other Coastal Baja California 26.6667 -111.8333 15 1968 or earlier, likely by SCUBA
Aurora active, confirmed mid-ocean ridge Gakkel Ridge 82.8833 -6.2500 4100 2001 shimmering water in camera tow and sulfide chimney in dredge
Sonne 99 active, confirmed back-arc spreading center North Fiji Basin -16.9500 173.9167 1980 1995 deep tow video and TV-grab
EPR, 3.9 N offset active, confirmed mid-ocean ridge N EPR 3.9170 -102.2330 2875 1989 or earlier Deep Tow photographs (cruise RIFTS or PAPATUA)
Tarama Knoll active, confirmed back-arc spreading center Okinawa Trough 25.0916 124.5416 1990 2009 ROV HyperDolphin
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
Vailulu'u Seamount active, confirmed intra-plate volcano Central Pacific -14.2167 -169.0667 1000 2005 submersible Pisces V; 2000 plume only
Bounty Seamount active, confirmed intra-plate volcano Central Pacific -25.1667 -129.4000 420 1999 submersible Nautile; 1989 plume only
Vulcano active, confirmed arc volcano Aeolian Arc, Tyrrhenian Sea 38.4000 15.0000 8 1960's shallow vents
Nolan's Nook active, confirmed mid-ocean ridge S EPR -31.1500 -111.9167 2330 1999 submersible Alvin; 1998 plume only
Calypso Vents active, confirmed back-arc spreading center Taupo Volcanic Zone -37.6800 177.1170 200 1989 submersible Soucoup
Adventure Caldera active, confirmed arc volcano South Sandwich Arc -59.7210 -27.8571 520 2011 SHRIMP towed camera system; 2010 high resolution bathymetry only
Saguaro Field active, confirmed mid-ocean ridge S EPR -31.8500 -112.0333 2330 1999 submersible Alvin; 1998 plume only
Tafu active, confirmed back-arc spreading center Lau Basin -15.3833 -174.2500 1400 2008 or 2009 commercial ROV; 2008 plume only; 2009 ROV Jason II
EPR, 1.4 S, off-axis active, confirmed mid-ocean ridge S EPR -1.3690 -102.4560 3000 2008 towed video
Hot Beach, Mendeleev Volcano active, confirmed arc volcano Kuril Arc 43.9760 145.7360 1 1990 or earlier, from the beach
Alice Springs Field active, confirmed back-arc spreading center Mariana Trough 18.2103 144.7073 3640 1987 submersible Alvin; 1982 plume only
Flow active, confirmed mid-ocean ridge JdF Ridge 46.5250 -129.5783 2390 1993 ROV ROPOS
EPR, 9 47'N active, confirmed mid-ocean ridge N EPR 9.7750 -104.2802 2560 1989 Argo I towed video; 1991 submersible Alvin
Mata Ua active, confirmed arc volcano Lau Basin -15.0166 -173.7833 2397 2012 ROV Quest 4000; 2010 plume only (towed camera did not confirm)
EPR, 26 10'S active, confirmed mid-ocean ridge S EPR -26.2050 -112.6133 2600 1987 or earlier [need to check Marchig & Gundlach (1987)]; 2005 submersible Alvin did not observe active vents
Perseverance active, confirmed back-arc spreading center Mariana Trough 15.4802 144.5077 3935 2016 ROV SuBastian; 2015 AUV Sentry plume mapping
13 N Ridge Site active, confirmed back-arc spreading center Mariana Trough 13.0987 143.6886 3036 2000 deep-tow camera (later, same year - ROV Kaiko)
Minami-Ensei Knoll active, confirmed back-arc spreading center Okinawa Trough 28.3917 127.6417 740 1988 deep tow TV surveys followed by submersible Shinkai 2000; 1986 dredged Calyptogena shells

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