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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| EPR, 13 N, Marginal High | active, confirmed | mid-ocean ridge | N EPR | 12.7090 | -103.9160 | 2650 | 1984 submersible Cyana; 1981 towed camera, dredging, and plume did not confirm activity |
| Don Joao de Castro Bank | active, confirmed | mid-ocean ridge | Terceira Rift | 38.2300 | -26.6300 | 45 | 1995 SCUBA |
| Capo Miseno, Gulf of Naples | active, confirmed | other | Coastal Italy | 40.7833 | 14.0833 | 20 | 1982 or earlier, likely by SCUBA |
| Sakai | active, confirmed | back-arc spreading center | Okinawa Trough | 27.5481 | 126.9895 | 1600 | 1988 submersible Shinkai 2000; 1987 plume only |
| Si'iSi'i | active, confirmed | back-arc spreading center | Lau Basin | -22.2900 | -176.6290 | 1950 | 2008 commercial ROV; 2003 plume only |
| EPR, 20 06'S | active, confirmed | mid-ocean ridge | S EPR | -20.1000 | -113.7080 | 3000 | 1981 Angus camera tow; 1984 submersible Cyana |
| Punta Banda | active, confirmed | other | Coastal Baja California | 31.7500 | -116.7500 | 30 | 1960's commercial abalone divers |
| Higashi-Ensei | active, confirmed | back-arc spreading center | Okinawa Trough | 28.4393 | 128.1724 | 1220 | 2016 ROV Kaiko dives 723 and 724 |
| Macauley Caldera | active, confirmed | arc volcano | Kermadec Arc | -30.2140 | -178.7210 | 500 | 2002 towed camera TAN0205 cruise |
| Ruby | active, confirmed | arc volcano | Mariana Arc | 15.6200 | 145.5700 | 214 | 2006 ROV Jason II; 2003 plume only |
| North Knoll, Iheya Ridge | active, confirmed | back-arc spreading center | Okinawa Trough | 27.7908 | 126.8966 | 1100 | 1995 deep tow survey |
| Nibelungen | active, confirmed | mid-ocean ridge | S MAR | -8.3000 | -13.5200 | 2900 | 2006 AUV ABE followed by ROV Quest; 2004 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 |
| EPR, 23 50'S | active, confirmed | mid-ocean ridge | S EPR | -23.8233 | -115.4558 | 2650 | 2005 submersible Alvin; 1990 or earlier towed TV camera did not confirm activity |
| TOTO Caldera | active, confirmed | arc volcano | Mariana Arc | 12.7167 | 143.5333 | 2960 | 2000 deep-tow camera (later, same year - ROV Kaiko); 1998 or earlier hydrothermal deposits dredged; 1998 plume only |
| MAR, 4 48'S | active, confirmed | mid-ocean ridge | S MAR | -4.8058 | -12.3742 | 3050 | 2005 AUV ABE (cruise CD169 ) followed by ROV Quest (cruise M64/1) |
| Epi Caldera | active, confirmed | arc volcano | New Hebrides Arc | -16.6870 | 168.4000 | 320 | 2013 ROV Kiel6000; 1974 sediment samples only; 2001 plume and camera tow (did not confirm activity) |
| Banda Api | active, confirmed | arc volcano | Banda/Sunda Arc | -4.5250 | 129.8710 | 3 | 1993 SCUBA |
| EPR, 3.9 N offset | active, confirmed | mid-ocean ridge | N EPR | 3.9170 | -102.2330 | 2875 | 1989 or earlier Deep Tow photographs (cruise RIFTS or PAPATUA) |
| White Island | active, confirmed | back-arc spreading center | Taupo Volcanic Zone | -37.5191 | 177.1953 | 30 | 1989 or earlier, likely SCUBA |
| 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 |
| Mata Tolu | active, confirmed | arc volcano | Lau Basin | -15.0049 | -173.7936 | 1900 | 2010 towed camera; 2009 plume and dredge only |
| EPR, 9 33'N | active, confirmed | mid-ocean ridge | N EPR | 9.5583 | -104.2500 | 2574 | 1989 Argo I towed video; 1991 submersible Alvin |
| TAG | active, confirmed | mid-ocean ridge | N MAR | 26.1367 | -44.8267 | 3670 | 1985 towed camera and temperature anomaly; 1986 submersible Alvin |
| Mata Fitu | active, confirmed | arc volcano | Lau Basin | -14.9166 | -173.7833 | 2750 | 2010 towed camera |
| Palinuro | active, confirmed | arc volcano | Aeolian Arc, Tyrrhenian Sea | 39.5500 | 14.7000 | 1000 | 2006 ROV Cherokee; 1968 manganese crust only; 1984 deposits only; 1993 TV profile did not confirm |
| Soria Moria | active, confirmed | mid-ocean ridge | Mohns Ridge | 71.2593 | -5.8146 | 750 | 2005 ROV BIODEEP-05 cruise |
| Rainbow | active, confirmed | mid-ocean ridge | N MAR | 36.2300 | -33.9020 | 2320 | 1997 submersible Nautile |
| Forecast | active, confirmed | arc volcano | Mariana Arc | 13.4000 | 143.9166 | 1470 | 1992 submersible Shinkai 6500 |
| Nagahama Bay, Iwo-dake Volcano | active, confirmed | arc volcano | Ryukyu Arc | 30.7500 | 130.3330 | 26 | 1994 or earlier intertidal; 2008 or earlier SCUBA subtidal |