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
Dodo Field active, confirmed mid-ocean ridge CIR -18.3470 65.3050 2730 2009 submersible Shinkai 6500; 2006 plume only
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
Loihi Seamount active, confirmed intra-plate volcano Central Pacific 18.9500 -155.2500 4800 1985 bottom photography R/V Hakuho Maru; 1987 submersible Alvin
Kueishan Island, offshore active, confirmed back-arc spreading center Okinawa Trough 24.8333 122.0000 1200 2008 or earlier
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
Matupi Harbour, Rabaul caldera, New Britain Island active, confirmed arc volcano Bismarck Arc -4.2700 152.2000 30 1961 or earlier intertidal
Mothra Field active, confirmed mid-ocean ridge JdF Ridge 47.9233 -129.1082 2270 1996 ROV ROPOS; 1986 plume only
EPR, 18 15'S active, confirmed mid-ocean ridge S EPR -18.2500 -113.3500 2680 1993 submersible Nautile
Northwest Eifuku active, confirmed arc volcano Mariana Arc 21.4850 144.0430 1604 2004 ROV ROPOS; 2003 plume only
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
Main Endeavour Field active, confirmed mid-ocean ridge JdF Ridge 47.9487 -129.0981 2220 1984 submersible Alvin; 1982 dredge only
Alice Springs Field active, confirmed back-arc spreading center Mariana Trough 18.2103 144.7073 3640 1987 submersible Alvin; 1982 plume only
Kagoshima Bay active, confirmed arc volcano Ryukyu Arc 31.6583 130.8000 200 1993 towed TV system (Haorimushi site); 2007 ROV Hyper-dolphin (Tagiri site)
EPR, 37 48'S Axial Dome active, confirmed mid-ocean ridge Pacific-Antarctic Ridge -37.8000 -110.9167 2200 2001 towed video and TV-grab
EPR, Ridge 3, 20 40'S active, confirmed mid-ocean ridge S EPR -20.3333 -113.6792 3050 1983 Deep Tow camera
Niua South active, confirmed arc volcano Tonga Arc -15.1650 -173.5700 1180 2008 commercial ROV
Snake Pit active, confirmed mid-ocean ridge N MAR 23.3683 -44.9500 3500 1985 real-time TV and imaging sonar; earlier in 1985 seafloor photographs did not confirm activity
Sonne 99 active, confirmed back-arc spreading center North Fiji Basin -16.9500 173.9167 1980 1995 deep tow video and TV-grab
Niua North active, confirmed arc volcano Tonga Arc -15.0667 -173.5667 1375 2012 ROV Quest 4000; 2008 plume only
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
Beebe active, confirmed mid-ocean ridge Mid-Cayman Rise 18.5466 -81.7182 4957 2010 AUV Autosub6000 and HyBIS TVG; 2009 plume only
Kick'em Jenny submarine volcano active, confirmed arc volcano Lesser Antilles Arc 12.2833 -61.6667 265 2003 ROV Eastern Oceanics; 1989 submersible Johnson-Sea-Link II (did not confirm activity); 2001 plume only
Teahitia seamount active, confirmed intra-plate volcano Central Pacific -17.5670 -148.8167 1460 1983 submersible Cyana
Akuseki-jima active, confirmed arc volcano Ryukyu Arc 29.4610 129.5970 5 1993 or earlier, likely by SCUBA
Red Seamount active, confirmed mid-ocean ridge N EPR 20.8033 -109.3783 2000 1982 submersible Alvin
Higa active, confirmed back-arc spreading center Okinawa Trough 26.5550 126.2233 1485 2015 ROV Kaiko
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)
Middle Valley, Dead Dog Vent Field active, confirmed mid-ocean ridge JdF Ridge 48.4560 -128.7088 2450 1990 HOV Alvin
Tempus Fugit active, confirmed mid-ocean ridge Galapagos Rift 0.7683 -85.9100 2560 2011 ROV Little Hercules
Deyin-1 active, confirmed mid-ocean ridge S MAR -15.1666 -13.3558 2850 2012 TV-grab; 2011 deposits only; 2013 plume only

Pages