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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NESCA | active, confirmed | mid-ocean ridge | Gorda Ridge | 41.0000 | -127.4917 | 3300 | 1988 submersible Alvin; 1986 dredge and photographs did not confirm activity |
| El Hierro, Tagoro | active, confirmed | intra-plate volcano | 27.6200 | -17.9900 | 350 | 2016 submersible JAGO, 2017 ROV Liropus 2000, 2011 water column sampling | |
| 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 |
| Evan | active, confirmed | mid-ocean ridge | N MAR | 37.2667 | -32.2833 | 1775 | 2006 submersible Nautile |
| Logatchev-1 | active, confirmed | mid-ocean ridge | N MAR | 14.7520 | -44.9785 | 3050 | 1993-1994 TV grab and towed photo system; 1995 submersible Mir followed by submersible Nautile |
| Precious Stone Mountain | active, confirmed | mid-ocean ridge | Galapagos Rift | 1.2200 | -101.4900 | 1700 | 2009 deep-tow video and TV grab |
| Middle Valley, Dead Dog Vent Field | active, confirmed | mid-ocean ridge | JdF Ridge | 48.4560 | -128.7088 | 2450 | 1990 HOV Alvin |
| Iguanas-Pinguinos | active, confirmed | mid-ocean ridge | Galapagos Rift | 2.1000 | -91.9350 | 1640 | 2005 towed video Medea |
| Kueishan Island, offshore | active, confirmed | back-arc spreading center | Okinawa Trough | 24.8333 | 122.0000 | 1200 | 2008 or earlier |
| Havre | active, confirmed | arc volcano | Kermadec Arc | -31.0970 | -179.0340 | 1505 | 2015 ROV Jason II; 2002 plume only |
| North Cleft, low temperature | active, confirmed | mid-ocean ridge | JdF Ridge | 44.8833 | -130.2667 | 2250 | 1987-1989 camera/CTD tows |
| Ribeira Quente | active, confirmed | mid-ocean ridge | Terceira Rift | 37.7250 | -25.3160 | 10 | 1986 or earlier, likely from shore or by SCUBA |
| Luise Harbor, Lihir Island | active, confirmed | arc volcano | Tabar-Feni Arc | -3.1167 | 152.6500 | 30 | 1990 or earlier |
| Deception Island | active, confirmed | back-arc spreading center | Bransfield Strait | -62.9500 | -60.6500 | 100 | 1995 or earlier intertidal |
| EPR, 9 33'N | active, confirmed | mid-ocean ridge | N EPR | 9.5583 | -104.2500 | 2574 | 1989 Argo I towed video; 1991 submersible Alvin |
| Niua South | active, confirmed | arc volcano | Tonga Arc | -15.1650 | -173.5700 | 1180 | 2008 commercial ROV |
| Perseverance | active, confirmed | back-arc spreading center | Mariana Trough | 15.4802 | 144.5077 | 3935 | 2016 ROV SuBastian; 2015 AUV Sentry plume mapping |
| Pika | active, confirmed | back-arc spreading center | Mariana Trough | 12.9183 | 143.6483 | 2990 | 2003 submersible Shinkai 6500; 2003 plume only |
| Solwara 17 | active, confirmed | back-arc spreading center | Manus Basin | -3.0380 | 147.5280 | 535 | 2009 commercial ROV Fugro FV300; 2008 plumes with some sites subsequently observed with ROV |
| 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 |
| White Church | active, confirmed | back-arc spreading center | Lau Basin | -21.9612 | -176.5234 | 1960 | 1989 submersible Nautile; 2004 plume survey |
| Mounds and Microbes | active, confirmed | mid-ocean ridge | N EPR | 9.4500 | -104.5383 | 2950 | 2002 submersible Alvin; 1994 submersible Alvin did not confirm activity |
| Bahia Concepcion | active, confirmed | other | Coastal Baja California | 26.6667 | -111.8333 | 15 | 1968 or earlier, likely by SCUBA |
| Kasuga 3 Seamount | active, confirmed | arc volcano | Mariana Arc | 21.3833 | 143.6000 | 1140 | 1987 submersible Alvin |
| Tangaroa volcano | active, confirmed | arc volcano | Kermadec Arc | -36.3250 | 178.0333 | 890 | 2012 likely towed video or TV grab; 1999 plume only |
| SPOT, Yonaguni Knoll IV | active, confirmed | back-arc spreading center | Okinawa Trough | 24.8490 | 122.7000 | 1385 | 2000 submersibles Shinkai 2000 and Shinkai 6500 |
| Banda Api | active, confirmed | arc volcano | Banda/Sunda Arc | -4.5250 | 129.8710 | 3 | 1993 SCUBA |
| 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 |
| Marsili | active, confirmed | back-arc spreading center | Tyrrhenian Back-Arc Basin, Tyrrhenian Sea | 39.2600 | 14.3780 | 800 | 2006 ROV Cherokee; 1989 shimmering water but did not confirm activity |
| 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 |