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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jaco Scar | active, confirmed | arc volcano | Costa Rica fore arc | 9.1175 | -84.8397 | 1790 | 2009 submersible Alvin |
| North Knoll, Iheya Ridge | active, confirmed | back-arc spreading center | Okinawa Trough | 27.7908 | 126.8966 | 1100 | 1995 deep tow survey |
| 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 |
| Nibelungen | active, confirmed | mid-ocean ridge | S MAR | -8.3000 | -13.5200 | 2900 | 2006 AUV ABE followed by ROV Quest; 2004 plume only |
| Ribeira Quente | active, confirmed | mid-ocean ridge | Terceira Rift | 37.7250 | -25.3160 | 10 | 1986 or earlier, likely from shore or by SCUBA |
| Sea Cliff | active, confirmed | mid-ocean ridge | Gorda Ridge | 42.7550 | -126.7083 | 2800 | 1988 submersible Sea Cliff; 1985 plume only; 1986 dredge and camera tow did not confirm activity |
| EPR, 14 S | active, confirmed | mid-ocean ridge | S EPR | -13.9667 | -112.4667 | 2635 | 1985/86 or 1989 TV grab (need to check references to confirm activity); 1993 plume only; 1994 submersible Shinkai 6500 |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| Enarete Seamount | active, confirmed | arc volcano | Aeolian Arc, Tyrrhenian Sea | 38.6250 | 14.0000 | 600 | 2011 ROV Hercules; 1976 Fe crusts only; 1997 manganese crust only; 2007 plume only |
| Capo Miseno, Gulf of Naples | active, confirmed | other | Coastal Italy | 40.7833 | 14.0833 | 20 | 1982 or earlier, likely by SCUBA |
| Solwara 13 | active, confirmed | back-arc spreading center | Manus Basin | -3.7320 | 151.7465 | 2000 | 2009 commercial ROV Fugro FV300; 1993 plume only |
| Semyenov-2 | active, confirmed | mid-ocean ridge | N MAR | 13.5137 | -44.9630 | 2440 | 2009 TV grab and photo-TV profiling; 2007 deposits only |
| Tangaroa volcano | active, confirmed | arc volcano | Kermadec Arc | -36.3250 | 178.0333 | 890 | 2012 likely towed video or TV grab; 1999 plume only |
| Lilliput | active, confirmed | mid-ocean ridge | S MAR | -9.5500 | -13.1800 | 1500 | 2005 ROV Quest |
| 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 |
| Minami-Hiyoshi submarine volcano | active, confirmed | arc volcano | Mariana Arc | 23.4970 | 141.9400 | 80 | 2005 ROV HyperDolphin |
| Maug Caldera | active, confirmed | arc volcano | Mariana Arc | 20.0200 | 145.2200 | 145 | 2003 SCUBA shallow vents; 2004 ROV ROPOS deeper vents; 2003 plume only deeper vents |
| Perseverance | active, confirmed | back-arc spreading center | Mariana Trough | 15.4802 | 144.5077 | 3935 | 2016 ROV SuBastian; 2015 AUV Sentry plume mapping |
| Kagamil Island | active, confirmed | arc volcano | Aleutian Arc, western | 52.9800 | -169.7200 | 5 | 2007 SCUBA |
| High-Rise Field | active, confirmed | mid-ocean ridge | JdF Ridge | 47.9666 | -129.0894 | 2200 | 1988 submersible Alvin |
| Pescadero Basin, Auka | active, confirmed | mid-ocean ridge | Gulf of California | 23.9567 | -108.8618 | 3685 | 2015 ROV Doc Ricketts; 1990 or earlier plume only |
| Nagahama Bay, Iwo-dake Volcano | active, confirmed | arc volcano | Ryukyu Arc | 30.7500 | 130.3330 | 26 | 1994 or earlier intertidal; 2008 or earlier SCUBA subtidal |
| Mussel Valley | active, confirmed | back-arc spreading center | North Fiji Basin | -18.8167 | 173.4833 | 2700 | 1989 submersible Nautile; 1987 plume; 1988 towed camera did not confirm activity |
| Eyjafjördur | active, confirmed | mid-ocean ridge | Kolbeinsey Ridge | 65.8500 | -18.1333 | 65 | 1997, 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 |
| EPR, 11 24'N | active, confirmed | mid-ocean ridge | N EPR | 11.4000 | -103.7800 | 2580 | 1990 submersible Alvin; 1988 submersible Alvin dive #1994 (need reference to confirm activity) |
| 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) |
| Mata Fitu | active, confirmed | arc volcano | Lau Basin | -14.9166 | -173.7833 | 2750 | 2010 towed camera |