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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Discovery Deep | active, inferred | mid-ocean ridge | Red Sea | 21.2830 | 38.0500 | 2100 | 1965 "confirmed" hot brine and cored seafloor, but see Table 1 in Miller et al. (1966) for historical measurements |
| Mariana Trough, 18.2 N | active, inferred | back-arc spreading center | Mariana Trough | 18.1080 | 144.7380 | 3916 | 2015 plume only |
| Tonga Arc, Volcano D | active, inferred | arc volcano | Tonga Arc | -19.4500 | -174.9167 | 760 | 2004 plume only |
| Kuwae submarine caldera | active, inferred | arc volcano | New Hebrides Arc | -16.8300 | 168.5300 | 484 | 2001 plume and inconclusive grab samples |
| EPR, 21 54'S | active, inferred | mid-ocean ridge | S EPR | -21.9000 | -114.5000 | 2800 | 1987-1988 deposits only [need to check Fouquet et al. (1993) for confirmation] |
| EPR, 5 S | active, inferred | mid-ocean ridge | S EPR | -5.0000 | -106.4000 | 2650 | 1980's camera tows; 1993 and 1998 plume only; 1998 submersible Alvin did not confirm activity |
| MTJ, T08C05 | active, inferred | back-arc spreading center | Lau Basin | -15.5134 | -174.7407 | 2100 | 2008 plume only |
| Zealandia | active, inferred | arc volcano | Mariana Arc | 16.8800 | 145.8500 | 144 | 2003 plume only; 2009 or earlier ROV did not confirm activity |
| Gakkel Ridge, Site 2 | active, inferred | mid-ocean ridge | Gakkel Ridge | 83.8500 | -2.0000 | 3900 | 2001 plume only |
| EPR, mid 17 N segment | active, inferred | mid-ocean ridge | N EPR | 17.0000 | -105.3800 | 2750 | 1997 plume only |
| Pobeda-1 | active, inferred | mid-ocean ridge | N MAR | 17.1500 | -46.4200 | 3100 | 2014/2015 video profiling, TVgrab and corer |
| GEISEIR site 22, segment L3 | active, inferred | mid-ocean ridge | SEIR | -42.1130 | 88.0420 | 2400 | 1996 plume only; 2009 plume only |
| CIR, 8-17 S, Segment 4, 11.2 S | active, inferred | mid-ocean ridge | CIR | -11.2000 | 66.5000 | 3800 | 2010 plume only |
| GEISEIR site 9, segment K3 | active, inferred | mid-ocean ridge | SEIR | -41.9633 | 82.0600 | 2700 | 2010 plume only |
| SWIR, 51.7 E | active, inferred | mid-ocean ridge | SWIR | -37.4660 | 51.7320 | 1595 | 2008 plume and dredge only |
| East Mata submarine volcano | active, inferred | arc volcano | Tonga Arc | -15.1010 | -173.6780 | 1350 | 2008 plume only; 2009 plume only |
| Secca del Capo | active, inferred | arc volcano | Aeolian Arc, Tyrrhenian Sea | 38.6333 | 14.8500 | 240 | 1995 ROV Comex deposits only; 2007 plume only |
| Tangyin | active, inferred | back-arc spreading center | Okinawa Trough | 25.0667 | 122.5667 | 1206 | 2014 likely by dredging or ROV during the HOBAB3 cruise on R/V Kexue |
| MAR, 33 S | active, inferred | mid-ocean ridge | S MAR | -32.9676 | -14.4517 | 2600 | 2013 plume only |
| Kolbeinsey Ridge, 69 N | active, inferred | mid-ocean ridge | Kolbeinsey Ridge | 68.7581 | -16.0000 | 1200 | 1980 or earlier sediments only |
| SWIR, Plume 1, Segment 17 | active, inferred | mid-ocean ridge | SWIR | -31.1830 | 58.5000 | 3600 | 1997 plume only |
| EPR, 16 35'S | active, inferred | mid-ocean ridge | S EPR | -16.5830 | -113.0600 | 2650 | 1993 plume only; 1998 submersible Alvin did not confirm activity |
| GEISEIR site 21, segment L3 | active, inferred | mid-ocean ridge | SEIR | -42.0050 | 87.8808 | 2400 | 2010 plume only |
| EPR, 10 34'S | active, inferred | mid-ocean ridge | S EPR | -10.5667 | -110.2800 | 2900 | 1985/86 or 1989 TV grab (need to check references to confirm activity) |
| Puy des Folles | active, inferred | mid-ocean ridge | N MAR | 20.5083 | -45.6417 | 2000 | 1996 submersible Nautile observed only inactive vents |
| Tonga Arc, Volcano J1 | active, inferred | arc volcano | Tonga Arc | -17.2400 | -173.9500 | 560 | 2004 plume only |
| Leyte | active, inferred | arc volcano | Luzon/Bicol Arc | 11.5000 | 124.7000 | 2002 or earlier some indications of activity | |
| EPR, 28.7 S, Segment W4 | active, inferred | mid-ocean ridge | S EPR | -28.7000 | -112.9880 | 2350 | 1998 plume only |
| West Valley | active, inferred | mid-ocean ridge | JdF Ridge | 48.4833 | -129.0417 | 3000 | 1987 and 1988 deposits only (towed camera did not confirm activity) |
| MAR, segment south of St. Paul system | active, inferred | mid-ocean ridge | N MAR | 0.5000 | -25.0000 | 3500 | 2013 plume only |