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 ascending Tectonic Setting Region Latitude Longitude Maximum or Single Reported Depth Year and How Discovered
South Cleft active, confirmed mid-ocean ridge JdF Ridge 44.6667 -130.3667 2250 1981 deep-tow photographs; 1984 submersible Alvin
White Lady active, confirmed back-arc spreading center North Fiji Basin -16.9833 173.9167 2000 1988 towed camera and plume; 1989 submersible Nautile
Prony Bay active, confirmed other -22.3333 166.8333 50 1979 or earlier, likely 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
Champagne Hot Springs active, confirmed arc volcano Lesser Antilles Arc 15.2500 -61.3830 5 2001 or earlier (assume SCUBA)
Giggenbach volcano active, confirmed arc volcano Kermadec Arc -30.0333 -178.7167 180 2005 submersible PISCES V; 2002 plume only
Rehu-Marka active, confirmed mid-ocean ridge S EPR -17.4333 -113.2000 2590 1993 submersible Nautile; 1984 submersible Cyana - Auzende et al. (1996) says that no active black smokers were discovered but Krasnov et al. (1997) says one black smoker observed
Tonga Arc, Volcano 18 active, confirmed arc volcano Tonga Arc -24.5850 -176.9170 1465 2011 ROV MAGNUM; 2003 plume and dredge only
Loki's Castle active, confirmed mid-ocean ridge Mohns Ridge 73.5500 8.1500 2400 2008 ROV Bathysaurus
EPR, 17 44'S active, confirmed mid-ocean ridge S EPR -17.7330 -113.2660 2622 1998 submersible Alvin; 1993 plume only; not explored by Nautile in 1993 or Shinkai 6500 in 1994
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
Iguanas-Pinguinos active, confirmed mid-ocean ridge Galapagos Rift 2.1000 -91.9350 1640 2005 towed video Medea
EPR, 9 40'N active, confirmed mid-ocean ridge N EPR 9.6500 -104.2600 2572 1989 Argo I towed video; 1991 submersible Alvin
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
ABE active, confirmed back-arc spreading center Lau Basin -20.7619 -176.1910 2220 2004 AUV ABE; 2004 plume only on previous cruise
Minami-Ensei Knoll active, confirmed back-arc spreading center Okinawa Trough 28.3917 127.6417 740 1988 deep tow TV surveys followed by submersible Shinkai 2000; 1986 dredged Calyptogena shells
Havre active, confirmed arc volcano Kermadec Arc -31.0970 -179.0340 1505 2015 ROV Jason II; 2002 plume only
Temakons active, confirmed back-arc spreading center New Hebrides back-arc -17.5667 169.1000 1400 1994 towed camera with temperature
Matupi Harbour, Rabaul caldera, New Britain Island active, confirmed arc volcano Bismarck Arc -4.2700 152.2000 30 1961 or earlier intertidal
Adventure Caldera active, confirmed arc volcano South Sandwich Arc -59.7210 -27.8571 520 2011 SHRIMP towed camera system; 2010 high resolution bathymetry only
Maka active, confirmed back-arc spreading center Lau Basin -15.4217 -174.2850 1660 2008 commercial ROV; 2004 plume only; 2006 plume and chimney samples
White Point, Palos Verde, California active, confirmed other Coastal California 33.7000 -118.3167 10 1984 or earlier, likely by SCUBA
EPR, 20 06'S active, confirmed mid-ocean ridge S EPR -20.1000 -113.7080 3000 1981 Angus camera tow; 1984 submersible Cyana
North Cleft, high temperature active, confirmed mid-ocean ridge JdF Ridge 44.9800 -130.2000 2300 1987 camera/CTD tows discovered low-temperature vents; 1988 submersible Alvin sampled low-temperature vents; 1990 submersible Alvin discovered black smoker
Kasuga 3 Seamount active, confirmed arc volcano Mariana Arc 21.3833 143.6000 1140 1987 submersible Alvin
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
Semyenov-2 active, confirmed mid-ocean ridge N MAR 13.5137 -44.9630 2440 2009 TV grab and photo-TV profiling; 2007 deposits only
Daikoku volcano active, confirmed arc volcano Mariana Arc 21.3240 144.1940 450 2004 ROV ROPOS; 2003 plume only
Tu'i Malila active, confirmed back-arc spreading center Lau Basin -21.9876 -176.5678 1870 2005 ROV Jason II; 2004 plume only
Alarcon Rise, Meyibo active, confirmed mid-ocean ridge Gulf of California 23.3553 -108.5443 2295 2012 ROV Doc Ricketts

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