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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| S-OH1 | active, inferred | mid-ocean ridge | N MAR | 34.5330 | -36.8500 | 3000 | 1996 submersible Nautile did not find active vents; 2000 or earlier plume only |
| Irinovskoye | active, confirmed | mid-ocean ridge | N MAR | 13.3327 | -44.9099 | 3000 | 2013 ROV Victor6000; 2007 dredge only; 2009 or 2011 did not confirm |
| Logatchev-2 | active, confirmed | mid-ocean ridge | N MAR | 14.7200 | -44.9380 | 2760 | 2007 ROV VICTOR 6000; 1993-1994 TV grab and towed photo system did not confirm activity; 1996-1998 video imaging and sampling did not confirm activity |
| seamount, Tikopia area | active, inferred | arc volcano | New Hebrides Arc | -12.5433 | 167.7883 | 1425 | 1991 submersible Cyana |
| 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) |
| Stanton Seamount | active, confirmed | arc volcano | New Hebrides Arc | -10.8670 | 166.7000 | 800 | 2002 towed video |
| Eva | active, inferred | arc volcano | New Hebrides Arc | -22.0000 | 170.7500 | 1600 | 2008 plume only |
| Kuwae submarine caldera | active, inferred | arc volcano | New Hebrides Arc | -16.8300 | 168.5300 | 484 | 2001 plume and inconclusive grab samples |
| Gemini-Oscostar Volcanic Complex | active, inferred | arc volcano | New Hebrides Arc | -20.9830 | 170.2830 | 100 | 2001 deposits and plume; 2004 plume and sulfide samples |
| Starfish Seamount, Tinakula | active, confirmed | back-arc spreading center | New Hebrides back-arc | -12.2028 | 167.6139 | 1204 | 2011 commercial ROV; 1989 plume only; 1989 towed camera survey did not confirm activity; 2002 plume and dredge only |
| Temakons | active, confirmed | back-arc spreading center | New Hebrides back-arc | -17.5667 | 169.1000 | 1400 | 1994 towed camera with temperature |
| Nifonea Ridge | active, confirmed | back-arc spreading center | New Hebrides back-arc | -18.1330 | 169.5170 | 1900 | 2001 towed video; 2013 ROV Kiel 6000 black smokers |
| 94SO2 | active, inferred | back-arc spreading center | New Hebrides back-arc | -19.4000 | 169.9000 | 980 | 1994 towed camera with temperature did not confirm activity |
| White Lady | active, confirmed | back-arc spreading center | North Fiji Basin | -16.9833 | 173.9167 | 2000 | 1988 towed camera and plume; 1989 submersible Nautile |
| Tripartite Ridge, south of TR3 | inactive | back-arc spreading center | North Fiji Basin | -14.0745 | 175.4729 | 3000 | NotProvided |
| West Fiji Ridge | active, inferred | back-arc spreading center | North Fiji Basin | -17.0000 | 176.0000 | 3000 | 1995 deep tow |
| Sonne 99 | active, confirmed | back-arc spreading center | North Fiji Basin | -16.9500 | 173.9167 | 1980 | 1995 deep tow video and TV-grab |
| Pere Lachaise | inactive | back-arc spreading center | North Fiji Basin | -16.9667 | 173.9333 | 2000 | 1989 submersible Nautile did not find activity; 1991 submersible Shinkai 6500 did not find activity |
| Station 58, N160 Axis | active, inferred | back-arc spreading center | North Fiji Basin | -16.3167 | 173.5500 | 3900 | 1985 plume only; 1991 temperature anomalies but submersible Shinkai 6500 did not confirm activity |
| Extensional Relay Zone A | active, inferred | back-arc spreading center | North Fiji Basin | -16.1667 | 177.4167 | 2335 | 1999 towed camera did not confirm activity |
| Central Spreading Ridge, Station 19 S | active, inferred | back-arc spreading center | North Fiji Basin | -19.0000 | 173.5000 | 3000 | 1991 submersible Shinkai 6500 did not confirm activity |
| east of Central Spreading Ridge | inactive | back-arc spreading center | North Fiji Basin | -15.4510 | 174.6902 | 3000 | NotProvided |
| 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 |
| Tripartite Ridge, south of TR1 | inactive | back-arc spreading center | North Fiji Basin | -14.5000 | 177.0000 | 3000 | NotProvided |
| SPOT, Hatoma Knoll | active, confirmed | back-arc spreading center | Okinawa Trough | 24.8550 | 123.8410 | 1520 | 1999 submersible Shinkai 2000 |
| Yokosuka | active, confirmed | back-arc spreading center | Okinawa Trough | 25.2638 | 124.3733 | 2190 | 2016 ROV Kaiko; 2014 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 |
| Higashi-Ensei | active, confirmed | back-arc spreading center | Okinawa Trough | 28.4393 | 128.1724 | 1220 | 2016 ROV Kaiko dives 723 and 724 |
| Futagoyama | active, confirmed | back-arc spreading center | Okinawa Trough | 24.8674 | 123.3081 | 1270 | 2016 ROV Kaiko dive 717 |
| Kueishan Island | active, confirmed | back-arc spreading center | Okinawa Trough | 24.8333 | 121.9500 | 30 | 1999, likely by SCUBA |