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 Regionsort descending Latitude Longitude Maximum or Single Reported Depth Year and How Discovered
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
Tarama Knoll active, confirmed back-arc spreading center Okinawa Trough 25.0916 124.5416 1990 2009 ROV HyperDolphin
Kueishan Island active, confirmed back-arc spreading center Okinawa Trough 24.8333 121.9500 30 1999, likely by SCUBA
Okinawa Trough, Site ES1 active, inferred back-arc spreading center Okinawa Trough 30.3303 129.0827 521 1992 dredge only
SPOT, Hatoma Knoll active, confirmed back-arc spreading center Okinawa Trough 24.8550 123.8410 1520 1999 submersible Shinkai 2000
Irabu Knoll active, confirmed back-arc spreading center Okinawa Trough 25.2300 124.8800 1850 2000 submersible Shinkai 6500; 1986 seafloor photos did not confirm activity
Okinawa Trough, Site ES2 active, inferred back-arc spreading center Okinawa Trough 28.8137 128.1028 779 1992 dredge only
Kueishan Island, offshore active, confirmed back-arc spreading center Okinawa Trough 24.8333 122.0000 1200 2008 or earlier
Higa active, confirmed back-arc spreading center Okinawa Trough 26.5550 126.2233 1485 2015 ROV Kaiko
Sakai active, confirmed back-arc spreading center Okinawa Trough 27.5481 126.9895 1600 1988 submersible Shinkai 2000; 1987 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
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
Izena Cauldron active, confirmed back-arc spreading center Okinawa Trough 27.2667 127.0833 1610 1988 submersible Shinkai 2000
Pacific-Antarctic Ridge, 64 S segment active, inferred mid-ocean ridge Pacific-Antarctic Ridge -64.5000 -170.0000 2300 2009 plume only
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
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
Pacific-Antarctic Ridge, 60 S segment active, inferred mid-ocean ridge Pacific-Antarctic Ridge -60.0000 -152.0000 2300 2009 plume only
Parece Vela Ridge, Philippine Sea inactive back-arc spreading center Parece Vela Basin 16.0000 139.1667 5000 NotProvided
Kebrit Deep active, inferred mid-ocean ridge Red Sea 24.7233 36.2767 1590 1972 deposits only
Red Sea Rift, 18 N active, inferred mid-ocean ridge Red Sea 17.9667 40.0667 1500 1980 submersible Pisces XI (deposits only)
Suakin Deep active, inferred mid-ocean ridge Red Sea 19.6333 38.7333 2850 1972 deposits only
Shaban Deep active, inferred mid-ocean ridge Red Sea 26.2250 35.3500 1540 1983 deposits only
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
Atlantis II Deep active, inferred mid-ocean ridge Red Sea 21.3417 38.0750 2200 1965 "confirmed" hot brine and cored seafloor, but see Table 1 in Miller et al. (1966) for historical measurements
Nereus Deep active, inferred mid-ocean ridge Red Sea 23.1670 37.2830 2400 1972 deposits only
Steinaholl Vent Field active, confirmed mid-ocean ridge Reykjanes Ridge 63.1000 -24.5333 350 1990 plume, echosounding, and towed video; 1993 plume only (included echosounding for more precise location)
Reykjanes Ridge, Area A active, inferred mid-ocean ridge Reykjanes Ridge 62.4500 -25.4330 500 NotProvided
Reykjanes Ridge, Area B active, inferred mid-ocean ridge Reykjanes Ridge 59.8167 -29.6833 1000 1992 submersible Mir did not find vents
Taketomi Thermal Area active, confirmed arc volcano Ryukyu Arc 24.3483 124.1017 23 1987 or earlier, likely by SCUBA
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)

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