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
Macauley Caldera active, confirmed arc volcano Kermadec Arc -30.2140 -178.7210 500 2002 towed camera TAN0205 cruise
EPR, 18 26'S active, confirmed mid-ocean ridge S EPR -18.4333 -113.3833 2650 1993 submersible Nautile; 1983 seafloor photos, temperature anomalies, and deposits did not confirm activity; 1984 submersible Cyana observed only inactive sites; 1985/86 or 1989 TV grab (need to check references to confirm activity)
Moytirra active, confirmed mid-ocean ridge N MAR 45.4833 -27.8500 2900 2011 ROV Holland 1; 2008 plume only MAPRs, ROV Isis buoyant plume, but no visual confirmation
Flow active, confirmed mid-ocean ridge JdF Ridge 46.5250 -129.5783 2390 1993 ROV ROPOS
Salty Dawg Field active, confirmed mid-ocean ridge JdF Ridge 47.9822 -129.0756 2200 1995 submersible Alvin, followed by ROV ROPOS
Don Joao de Castro Bank active, confirmed mid-ocean ridge Terceira Rift 38.2300 -26.6300 45 1995 SCUBA
EPR, 9 50'N active, confirmed mid-ocean ridge N EPR 9.8300 -104.2900 2520 1989 Argo I towed video
Not Dead Yet active, confirmed mid-ocean ridge JdF Ridge 46.6899 -129.3772 2419 2007 ROV Jason II; 1991 camera tow did not confirm activity
Axial Seamount, International District active, confirmed mid-ocean ridge JdF Ridge 45.9266 -129.9795 1544 1986 submersible Pisces IV
Guaymas Basin, Southern Trough active, confirmed mid-ocean ridge Gulf of California 27.0148 -111.4109 2000 1982 submersible Alvin; 1980 DeepTow CTD and dredging
TELVE active, confirmed back-arc spreading center Lau Basin -22.1667 -176.6040 1760 2008 commercial ROV; 2003 plume only
ESR, E2 active, confirmed back-arc spreading center East Scotia Ridge -56.0917 -30.3250 2641 2009 towed video; 1999 plume only; 2010 ROV Isis
Sumisu Caldera active, confirmed arc volcano Izu-Bonin Arc 31.4667 140.0667 690 1998 submersible Shinkai 2000
Kos active, confirmed arc volcano Hellenic Arc, Aegean Sea 36.8500 27.2500 10 1983 or earlier, likely by SCUBA
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
EPR, 17 12'S active, confirmed mid-ocean ridge S EPR -17.2000 -113.1500 2590 1993 submersible Nautile
EPR, 23 30'S active, confirmed mid-ocean ridge S EPR -23.5333 -115.5667 2600 1987 or earlier [need to check Marchig & Gundlach (1987)]; 2005 submersible Alvin
Minami-Hiyoshi submarine volcano active, confirmed arc volcano Mariana Arc 23.4970 141.9400 80 2005 ROV HyperDolphin
Aden active, confirmed mid-ocean ridge Aden Ridge 11.9500 43.6667 1600 1984 submersible Cyana
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
Izena Cauldron active, confirmed back-arc spreading center Okinawa Trough 27.2667 127.0833 1610 1988 submersible Shinkai 2000
Macdonald Seamount active, confirmed intra-plate volcano Central Pacific -28.9833 -140.2500 150 1989 submersible Cyana
EPR, 18 32'S active, confirmed mid-ocean ridge S EPR -18.5550 -113.4160 2647 1993 submersible Nautile
Mussel Valley active, confirmed back-arc spreading center North Fiji Basin -18.8167 173.4833 2700 1989 submersible Nautile; 1987 plume; 1988 towed camera did not confirm activity
Whale Island active, confirmed back-arc spreading center Taupo Volcanic Zone -37.8600 176.9800 42 1990 or earlier, likely by SCUBA
Forecast active, confirmed arc volcano Mariana Arc 13.4000 143.9166 1470 1992 submersible Shinkai 6500
Alarcon Rise, Ja Sit active, confirmed mid-ocean ridge Gulf of California 23.3765 -108.5315 2304 2012 ROV Doc Ricketts
Rumble III volcano active, confirmed arc volcano Kermadec Arc -35.7333 178.4667 380 2000 towed camera; 1999 plume only
Yoron Hole active, confirmed back-arc spreading center Okinawa Trough 27.4916 127.5333 590 2010 ROV Hyperdolphin
Nisiros active, confirmed arc volcano Hellenic Arc, Aegean Sea 36.5600 27.1400 18 1994 or earlier, likely by SCUBA

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