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) |
| Daiichi-Amami knoll | active, inferred | arc volcano | Ryukyu Arc | 28.4500 | 128.7500 | 350 | 2013 multibeam echo sounder on S/V Takuyo and AUV Gondo |
| Akuseki-jima | active, confirmed | arc volcano | Ryukyu Arc | 29.4610 | 129.5970 | 5 | 1993 or earlier, likely by SCUBA |
| 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 |
| 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, 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, 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, 28.3 S, Segment W3 | active, inferred | mid-ocean ridge | S EPR | -28.3000 | -112.9830 | 2220 | 1998 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 |
| Pito Seamount | active, confirmed | mid-ocean ridge | S EPR | -23.3275 | -111.6402 | 2270 | 1993 submersible Nautile |
| EPR, 28.4 S, Segment W4 | active, inferred | mid-ocean ridge | S EPR | -28.4170 | -112.9640 | 2350 | 1998 plume only |
| EPR, 17 47'S | active, inferred | mid-ocean ridge | S EPR | -17.7900 | -113.3000 | 2600 | 1993 plume only |
| EPR, 15 24'S | active, inferred | mid-ocean ridge | S EPR | -15.4000 | -112.8350 | 2640 | 1993 plume only |
| EPR, 20 S | active, inferred | mid-ocean ridge | S EPR | -20.0333 | -113.6843 | 3000 | 1999 submersible Alvin did not confirm activity |
| 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, 15 S | active, inferred | mid-ocean ridge | S EPR | -15.0000 | -112.7700 | 2640 | 1985/86 or 1989 TV grab (need to check references to confirm activity); 1993 plume only |
| EPR, 28.7 S, Segment W4 | active, inferred | mid-ocean ridge | S EPR | -28.7000 | -112.9880 | 2350 | 1998 plume only |
| EPR, 17 53'S | active, inferred | mid-ocean ridge | S EPR | -17.8800 | -113.3000 | 2610 | 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 |
| Saguaro Field | active, confirmed | mid-ocean ridge | S EPR | -31.8500 | -112.0333 | 2330 | 1999 submersible Alvin; 1998 plume only |
| EPR, 21 20'S | active, inferred | mid-ocean ridge | S EPR | -21.3670 | -114.2570 | 2900 | 1981 plume only; 1987-1988 deposits only |
| 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) |
| EPR, 29.5 S, Segment E1 | active, inferred | mid-ocean ridge | S EPR | -29.5000 | -111.7200 | 2580 | 1998 plume only |
| EPR, 17 56'S | active, inferred | mid-ocean ridge | S EPR | -17.9400 | -113.3170 | 2620 | 1993 plume only |
| EPR, 7 S | active, inferred | mid-ocean ridge | S EPR | -7.0000 | -107.5500 | 2600 | 1985/86 or 1989 TV grab |
| EPR, 1 S | active, inferred | mid-ocean ridge | S EPR | -0.8000 | -102.4600 | 2800 | 2005 plume only |
| EPR, 21 25'S | active, confirmed | mid-ocean ridge | S EPR | -21.4333 | -114.2917 | 2850 | 1984 submersible Cyana; 1983 deposits only |
| EPR, 16 08'S | active, inferred | mid-ocean ridge | S EPR | -16.1300 | -113.0000 | 2640 | 1993 plume only |
| 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 |