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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Snail | active, confirmed | back-arc spreading center | Mariana Trough | 12.9533 | 143.6200 | 2880 | 2003 ROV Jason II; 2003 plume only |
| Pulau Weh | active, confirmed | arc volcano | Banda/Sunda Arc | 5.8166 | 95.3000 | 8 | 1982 or earlier, likely by SCUBA |
| Punta Mita, Bahia de Banderas | active, confirmed | other | Coastal Mexico | 20.7700 | -105.5200 | 10 | 1997 photo/video most likely by SCUBA |
| Rapa Nui | active, confirmed | mid-ocean ridge | S EPR | -21.5620 | -114.3000 | 2845 | 1999 submersible Alvin; 1987-1988 deposits only |
| Futagoyama | active, confirmed | back-arc spreading center | Okinawa Trough | 24.8674 | 123.3081 | 1270 | 2016 ROV Kaiko dive 717 |
| Epi Caldera | active, confirmed | arc volcano | New Hebrides Arc | -16.6870 | 168.4000 | 320 | 2013 ROV Kiel6000; 1974 sediment samples only; 2001 plume and camera tow (did not confirm activity) |
| EPR, 11 17'N | active, confirmed | mid-ocean ridge | N EPR | 11.2833 | -103.7583 | 2560 | 1984 Angus camera (or 1985 Argo video) tow with temperature |
| 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) |
| Methana | active, confirmed | arc volcano | Hellenic Arc, Aegean Sea | 37.6150 | 23.3360 | 10 | nearshore: since antiquity; offshore: 1997 SCUBA |
| El Hierro, Tagoro | active, confirmed | intra-plate volcano | 27.6200 | -17.9900 | 350 | 2016 submersible JAGO, 2017 ROV Liropus 2000, 2011 water column sampling | |
| 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 |
| Kueishan Island | active, confirmed | back-arc spreading center | Okinawa Trough | 24.8333 | 121.9500 | 30 | 1999, likely by SCUBA |
| Precious Stone Mountain | active, confirmed | mid-ocean ridge | Galapagos Rift | 1.2200 | -101.4900 | 1700 | 2009 deep-tow video and TV grab |
| Von Damm | active, confirmed | mid-ocean ridge | Mid-Cayman Rise | 18.3777 | -81.7972 | 2372 | 2010 AUV Autosub6000 and HyBIS TVG; 2009 plume only |
| Rumble V volcano | active, confirmed | arc volcano | Kermadec Arc | -36.1333 | 178.1833 | 755 | 2001 towed camera; 1999 plume and dredged mussel shells |
| 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 |
| Franklin Seamount | active, confirmed | back-arc spreading center | Woodlark Basin | -9.9083 | 151.8300 | 2366 | 1990 submersible Mir |
| EPR, 8 38'N | active, confirmed | mid-ocean ridge | N EPR | 8.6333 | -104.2000 | 2550 | 2003 submersible Alvin; 1989 dredge only; 2002 plume only |
| Mata Tolu | active, confirmed | arc volcano | Lau Basin | -15.0049 | -173.7936 | 1900 | 2010 towed camera; 2009 plume and dredge only |
| Montserrat Offshore Springs | active, confirmed | arc volcano | Lesser Antilles Arc | 16.7100 | -62.2300 | 10 | 1996 or earlier (assume SCUBA) |
| Salty Dawg Field | active, confirmed | mid-ocean ridge | JdF Ridge | 47.9822 | -129.0756 | 2200 | 1995 submersible Alvin, followed by ROV ROPOS |
| 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 |
| Nolan's Nook | active, confirmed | mid-ocean ridge | S EPR | -31.1500 | -111.9167 | 2330 | 1999 submersible Alvin; 1998 plume only |
| EPR, 37 40'S Axial Dome | active, confirmed | mid-ocean ridge | Pacific-Antarctic Ridge | -37.6667 | -110.8667 | 2240 | 1997 video survey L'Atalante (do not know if activity confirmed); 1995 TV survey did not confirm activity; 2001 towed video and TV-grab definitely confirmed |
| EPR, Ridge 1, 20 40'S | active, confirmed | mid-ocean ridge | S EPR | -20.8333 | -114.1667 | 3000 | 1983 Deep Tow camera |
| Grover Seamount | active, confirmed | arc volcano | Solomons Arc | -10.4667 | 164.2500 | 600 | 2002 towed video |
| Panarea | active, confirmed | arc volcano | Aeolian Arc, Tyrrhenian Sea | 38.6583 | 15.1000 | 200 | 1800's shallow vents; 1995 deeper vents ROV Comex |
| FRSC, Fonualei South | active, confirmed | back-arc spreading center | Lau Basin | -17.5352 | -174.5668 | 1620 | 2012 ROV Quest 4000 |
| Capo Palinuro | active, confirmed | other | Coastal Italy | 40.0167 | 15.2667 | 30 | 1990 or earlier, likely by SCUBA |
| SuSu Knolls | active, confirmed | back-arc spreading center | Manus Basin | -3.8000 | 152.1000 | 1520 | 1996 towed camera/video; 1993 plume only |