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
Montserrat Offshore Springs active, confirmed arc volcano Lesser Antilles Arc 16.7100 -62.2300 10 1996 or earlier (assume SCUBA)
Punta Banda active, confirmed other Coastal Baja California 31.7500 -116.7500 30 1960's commercial abalone divers
Champagne Hot Springs active, confirmed arc volcano Lesser Antilles Arc 15.2500 -61.3830 5 2001 or earlier (assume SCUBA)
Vienna Woods active, confirmed back-arc spreading center Manus Basin -3.1667 150.2833 2500 1990 TV-grab (also same year, sampled by submersible Mir); 1985 (or 1986) camera tow vent fauna and inactive chimneys
Macauley Caldera active, confirmed arc volcano Kermadec Arc -30.2140 -178.7210 500 2002 towed camera TAN0205 cruise
Espalamaca active, confirmed intra-plate volcano 38.5500 -28.6000 50 2010 or earlier likely SCUBA
Sonne 99 active, confirmed back-arc spreading center North Fiji Basin -16.9500 173.9167 1980 1995 deep tow video and TV-grab
Aurora active, confirmed mid-ocean ridge Gakkel Ridge 82.8833 -6.2500 4100 2001 shimmering water in camera tow and sulfide chimney in dredge
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
EPR, 21 25'S active, confirmed mid-ocean ridge S EPR -21.4333 -114.2917 2850 1984 submersible Cyana; 1983 deposits 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, 9 50'N active, confirmed mid-ocean ridge N EPR 9.8300 -104.2900 2520 1989 Argo I towed video
East Blanco Depression active, confirmed mid-ocean ridge JdF Ridge 44.2170 -129.6250 3460 1994 ROV U.S. Navy's Advanced Tethered Vehicle
Vulcano active, confirmed arc volcano Aeolian Arc, Tyrrhenian Sea 38.4000 15.0000 8 1960's shallow vents
North Knoll, Iheya Ridge active, confirmed back-arc spreading center Okinawa Trough 27.7908 126.8966 1100 1995 deep tow survey
Central Cleft, off-axis active, confirmed mid-ocean ridge JdF Ridge 44.7583 -130.2750 2200 2000 ROV Tiburon
Bounty Seamount active, confirmed intra-plate volcano Central Pacific -25.1667 -129.4000 420 1999 submersible Nautile; 1989 plume only
Nibelungen active, confirmed mid-ocean ridge S MAR -8.3000 -13.5200 2900 2006 AUV ABE followed by ROV Quest; 2004 plume only
Akuseki-jima active, confirmed arc volcano Ryukyu Arc 29.4610 129.5970 5 1993 or earlier, likely by SCUBA
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
Middle Valley, Bent Hill Massive Sulfide active, confirmed mid-ocean ridge JdF Ridge 48.4341 -128.6812 2440 1990 HOV Alvin, 1985 deposits only
Palinuro active, confirmed arc volcano Aeolian Arc, Tyrrhenian Sea 39.5500 14.7000 1000 2006 ROV Cherokee; 1968 manganese crust only; 1984 deposits only; 1993 TV profile did not confirm
EPR, 1.4 S, off-axis active, confirmed mid-ocean ridge S EPR -1.3690 -102.4560 3000 2008 towed video
Calyfield active, confirmed mid-ocean ridge Galapagos Rift 0.8300 -89.6083 1660 2002 submersible Alvin
Tu'i Malila active, confirmed back-arc spreading center Lau Basin -21.9876 -176.5678 1870 2005 ROV Jason II; 2004 plume only
Bahia Concepcion active, confirmed other Coastal Baja California 26.6667 -111.8333 15 1968 or earlier, likely by SCUBA
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
Prony Bay active, confirmed other -22.3333 166.8333 50 1979 or earlier, likely SCUBA
Mothra Field active, confirmed mid-ocean ridge JdF Ridge 47.9233 -129.1082 2270 1996 ROV ROPOS; 1986 plume only
Punta Mita, Bahia de Banderas active, confirmed other Coastal Mexico 20.7700 -105.5200 10 1997 photo/video most likely by SCUBA

Pages