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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mohns Ridge, 72.8 N | active, inferred | mid-ocean ridge | Mohns Ridge | 72.8060 | 4.1650 | 2300 | 2013 plume only |
| Mohns Ridge, 72 N | active, inferred | mid-ocean ridge | Mohns Ridge | 72.0390 | -0.2520 | 2500 | 1987 plume only; 2013 plume only |
| Misiteli | active, confirmed | back-arc spreading center | Lau Basin | -22.4700 | -176.7030 | 2050 | 2008 commercial ROV; 2003 plume only |
| Minami-Hiyoshi submarine volcano | active, confirmed | arc volcano | Mariana Arc | 23.4970 | 141.9400 | 80 | 2005 ROV HyperDolphin |
| 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 |
| Milos | active, confirmed | arc volcano | Hellenic Arc, Aegean Sea | 36.6667 | 24.5167 | 200 | 1987 or earlier, likely by SCUBA; 1992 Minirover ROV deeper sites |
| Middle Valley, Dead Dog Vent Field | active, confirmed | mid-ocean ridge | JdF Ridge | 48.4560 | -128.7088 | 2450 | 1990 HOV Alvin |
| Middle Valley, Bent Hill Massive Sulfide | active, confirmed | mid-ocean ridge | JdF Ridge | 48.4341 | -128.6812 | 2440 | 1990 HOV Alvin, 1985 deposits only |
| Methana | active, confirmed | arc volcano | Hellenic Arc, Aegean Sea | 37.6150 | 23.3360 | 10 | nearshore: since antiquity; offshore: 1997 SCUBA |
| MESO Zone | inactive | mid-ocean ridge | CIR | -23.3927 | 69.2422 | 2850 | 1993 TV grab and water column measurements |
| Merian | active, inferred | mid-ocean ridge | S MAR | -26.0166 | -13.8500 | 2550 | 2012 R/V Dayang Yihao; 2013 AUV Abyss plume and side-scan data |
| Menez Hom | active, confirmed | mid-ocean ridge | N MAR | 37.1500 | -32.4333 | 1802 | 2002 ROV Victor 6000 |
| Menez Gwen | active, confirmed | mid-ocean ridge | N MAR | 37.8417 | -31.5250 | 865 | 1994 submersible Nautile |
| Medusa | active, confirmed | mid-ocean ridge | N EPR | 9.1404 | -104.2065 | 2580 | 2007 ROV Jason II; 1991 plume only |
| Maug Caldera | active, confirmed | arc volcano | Mariana Arc | 20.0200 | 145.2200 | 145 | 2003 SCUBA shallow vents; 2004 ROV ROPOS deeper vents; 2003 plume only deeper vents |
| Matupi Harbour, Rabaul caldera, New Britain Island | active, confirmed | arc volcano | Bismarck Arc | -4.2700 | 152.2000 | 30 | 1961 or earlier intertidal |
| Mata Ua | active, confirmed | arc volcano | Lau Basin | -15.0166 | -173.7833 | 2397 | 2012 ROV Quest 4000; 2010 plume only (towed camera did not confirm) |
| Mata Tolu | active, confirmed | arc volcano | Lau Basin | -15.0049 | -173.7936 | 1900 | 2010 towed camera; 2009 plume and dredge only |
| Mata Taha | active, inferred | arc volcano | Lau Basin | -15.0416 | -173.7833 | 2160 | 2010 plume only |
| Mata Ono | active, inferred | arc volcano | Lau Basin | -14.9333 | -173.7916 | 2600 | 2010 plume only |
| Mata Nima | inactive | arc volcano | Lau Basin | -14.9583 | -173.7833 | 2670 | 2010 no plume detected |
| Mata Fitu | active, confirmed | arc volcano | Lau Basin | -14.9166 | -173.7833 | 2750 | 2010 towed camera |
| Mata Fa | active, inferred | arc volcano | Lau Basin | -14.9833 | -173.8000 | 2600 | 2010 plume only |
| 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 |
| Markov Deep | active, inferred | mid-ocean ridge | N MAR | 5.9100 | -33.1800 | 3500 | 2001-2002 and 2003 dredge only |
| Mariner | active, confirmed | back-arc spreading center | Lau Basin | -22.1800 | -176.6017 | 1910 | 2003 plume and camera tow; 2004 submersible Shinkai 6500 |
| Mariana Trough, plume 2 | active, inferred | back-arc spreading center | Mariana Trough | 12.7610 | 143.4730 | 2950 | 2003 plume only |
| Mariana Trough, Central Trough | active, confirmed | back-arc spreading center | Mariana Trough | 18.0467 | 144.7533 | 3676 | 1987 submersible Alvin |
| Mariana Trough, 18.2 N | active, inferred | back-arc spreading center | Mariana Trough | 18.1080 | 144.7380 | 3916 | 2015 plume only |
| Mariana Trough, 16.5 N | active, inferred | back-arc spreading center | Mariana Trough | 16.4010 | 144.8700 | 3829 | 2015 plume only |