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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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) |
| Kodakara-jima | active, confirmed | arc volcano | Ryukyu Arc | 29.2166 | 129.3333 | 10 | 1993 or earlier, likely by SCUBA |
| Taketomi Thermal Area | active, confirmed | arc volcano | Ryukyu Arc | 24.3483 | 124.1017 | 23 | 1987 or earlier, likely by SCUBA |
| Daisan-Kume Knoll | active, confirmed | arc volcano | Ryukyu Arc | 26.3020 | 126.4125 | 1370 | 2015 ROV Kaiko; 2014 ROV Hyper Dolphin 3000 Dive 1761 may have confirmed; 2014 AUV temperature anomaly |
| 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 |
| EPR, 31.4 S, Segment E4 | active, inferred | mid-ocean ridge | S EPR | -31.4330 | -111.9670 | 2350 | 1998 plume only |
| EPR, 17 12'S | active, confirmed | mid-ocean ridge | S EPR | -17.2000 | -113.1500 | 2590 | 1993 submersible Nautile |
| Pito Seamount | active, confirmed | mid-ocean ridge | S EPR | -23.3275 | -111.6402 | 2270 | 1993 submersible Nautile |
| EPR, 18 32'S | active, confirmed | mid-ocean ridge | S EPR | -18.5550 | -113.4160 | 2647 | 1993 submersible Nautile |
| EPR, 28 S, Segment W3 | active, inferred | mid-ocean ridge | S EPR | -28.0170 | -112.9040 | 2130 | 1998 plume only |
| EPR, 14 18'S | active, inferred | mid-ocean ridge | S EPR | -14.3000 | -112.6670 | 2630 | 1993 plume only |
| EPR, 17 34'S | active, confirmed | mid-ocean ridge | S EPR | -17.5667 | -113.2333 | 2600 | 1994 submersible Shinkai 6500; 1996 Argo II towed video |
| Rehu-Marka | active, confirmed | mid-ocean ridge | S EPR | -17.4333 | -113.2000 | 2590 | 1993 submersible Nautile; 1984 submersible Cyana - Auzende et al. (1996) says that no active black smokers were discovered but Krasnov et al. (1997) says one black smoker observed |
| EPR, 2 S | active, confirmed | mid-ocean ridge | S EPR | -2.2200 | -102.6550 | 2900 | 2008 towed video and AUV ABE |
| EPR, 28.3 S, Segment W3 | active, inferred | mid-ocean ridge | S EPR | -28.3000 | -112.9830 | 2220 | 1998 plume only |
| EPR, 14 35'S | active, inferred | mid-ocean ridge | S EPR | -14.5830 | -112.6670 | 2630 | 1993 plume only |
| EPR, 17 42'S | active, inferred | mid-ocean ridge | S EPR | -17.7000 | -113.2500 | 2600 | 1993 plume only |
| EPR, 2 S, off-axis | active, inferred | mid-ocean ridge | S EPR | -2.0840 | -102.8270 | 3000 | 2008 plume only |
| EPR, 28.4 S, Segment W4 | active, inferred | mid-ocean ridge | S EPR | -28.4170 | -112.9640 | 2350 | 1998 plume only |
| EPR, 17 44'S | active, confirmed | mid-ocean ridge | S EPR | -17.7330 | -113.2660 | 2622 | 1998 submersible Alvin; 1993 plume only; not explored by Nautile in 1993 or Shinkai 6500 in 1994 |
| EPR, 5 S | active, inferred | mid-ocean ridge | S EPR | -5.0000 | -106.4000 | 2650 | 1980's camera tows; 1993 and 1998 plume only; 1998 submersible Alvin did not confirm activity |
| EPR, 11 18'S | active, confirmed | mid-ocean ridge | S EPR | -11.3000 | -110.5300 | 2650 | 1985/86 or 1989 TV grab (need to check references to confirm activity); 1998 submersible Alvin |
| EPR, 20 06'S | active, confirmed | mid-ocean ridge | S EPR | -20.1000 | -113.7080 | 3000 | 1981 Angus camera tow; 1984 submersible Cyana |
| EPR, Ridge 1, 20 40'S | active, confirmed | mid-ocean ridge | S EPR | -20.8333 | -114.1667 | 3000 | 1983 Deep Tow camera |
| EPR, 28.7 S, Segment W4 | active, inferred | mid-ocean ridge | S EPR | -28.7000 | -112.9880 | 2350 | 1998 plume only |
| EPR, 14 S | active, confirmed | mid-ocean ridge | S EPR | -13.9667 | -112.4667 | 2635 | 1985/86 or 1989 TV grab (need to check references to confirm activity); 1993 plume only; 1994 submersible Shinkai 6500 |
| EPR, 17 47'S | active, inferred | mid-ocean ridge | S EPR | -17.7900 | -113.3000 | 2600 | 1993 plume only |
| EPR, 7 25'S | active, confirmed | mid-ocean ridge | S EPR | -7.4167 | -107.8000 | 2750 | 1985/86 or 1989 TV grab (need to check references to confirm activity); 1998 submersible Alvin |
| EPR, 20 S | active, inferred | mid-ocean ridge | S EPR | -20.0333 | -113.6843 | 3000 | 1999 submersible Alvin did not confirm activity |
| EPR, 22 30'S | active, inferred | mid-ocean ridge | S EPR | -22.5000 | -114.3670 | 2600 | 1985/86 or 1989 TV grab (need to check references to confirm activity) |