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 descending Tectonic Setting Region Latitude Longitude Maximum or Single Reported Depth Year and How Discovered
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
Kos active, confirmed arc volcano Hellenic Arc, Aegean Sea 36.8500 27.2500 10 1983 or earlier, likely by SCUBA
Mata Tolu active, confirmed arc volcano Lau Basin -15.0049 -173.7936 1900 2010 towed camera; 2009 plume and dredge only
Broken Spur active, confirmed mid-ocean ridge N MAR 29.1700 -43.1717 3100 1993 submersible Alvin; earlier in 1993, water column anomalies and towed camera did not confirm activity
Capo Miseno, Gulf of Naples active, confirmed other Coastal Italy 40.7833 14.0833 20 1982 or earlier, likely by SCUBA
Vai Lili active, confirmed back-arc spreading center Lau Basin -22.2151 -176.6083 1764 1989 submersible Nautile
Iguanas-Pinguinos active, confirmed mid-ocean ridge Galapagos Rift 2.1000 -91.9350 1640 2005 towed video Medea
EPR, 18 15'S active, confirmed mid-ocean ridge S EPR -18.2500 -113.3500 2680 1993 submersible Nautile
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)
Dodo Field active, confirmed mid-ocean ridge CIR -18.3470 65.3050 2730 2009 submersible Shinkai 6500; 2006 plume only
Ruby active, confirmed arc volcano Mariana Arc 15.6200 145.5700 214 2006 ROV Jason II; 2003 plume only
Eyjafjördur active, confirmed mid-ocean ridge Kolbeinsey Ridge 65.8500 -18.1333 65 1997, likely by SCUBA
Alarcon Rise, Tzab-ek active, confirmed mid-ocean ridge Gulf of California 23.3526 -108.5597 2249 2015 ROV Doc Ricketts
EPR, 9 47'N active, confirmed mid-ocean ridge N EPR 9.7750 -104.2802 2560 1989 Argo I towed video; 1991 submersible Alvin
SuSu Knolls active, confirmed back-arc spreading center Manus Basin -3.8000 152.1000 1520 1996 towed camera/video; 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
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
NE Pual active, confirmed back-arc spreading center Manus Basin -3.6754 151.7272 1875 2006 ROV Jason II
Northwest Rota-1 volcano active, confirmed arc volcano Mariana Arc 14.6010 144.7750 599 2004 ROV ROPOS; 2003 plume only
Axial Seamount, CASM active, confirmed mid-ocean ridge JdF Ridge 45.9892 -130.0272 1580 1983 submersible Pisces IV
Mata Fitu active, confirmed arc volcano Lau Basin -14.9166 -173.7833 2750 2010 towed camera
Kasuga 3 Seamount active, confirmed arc volcano Mariana Arc 21.3833 143.6000 1140 1987 submersible Alvin
Lucky Strike active, confirmed mid-ocean ridge N MAR 37.2933 -32.2733 1740 1993 submersible Alvin; 1992 dredge and plume only
Hafa Adai active, confirmed back-arc spreading center Mariana Trough 16.9570 144.8680 3294 2016 ROV Deep Discoverer; 2015 AUV Sentry plume mapping
Snail active, confirmed back-arc spreading center Mariana Trough 12.9533 143.6200 2880 2003 ROV Jason II; 2003 plume only
Minami-Ensei Knoll active, confirmed back-arc spreading center Okinawa Trough 28.3917 127.6417 740 1988 deep tow TV surveys followed by submersible Shinkai 2000; 1986 dredged Calyptogena shells
ABE active, confirmed back-arc spreading center Lau Basin -20.7619 -176.1910 2220 2004 AUV ABE; 2004 plume only on previous cruise
Matupi Harbour, Rabaul caldera, New Britain Island active, confirmed arc volcano Bismarck Arc -4.2700 152.2000 30 1961 or earlier intertidal
Brothers volcano active, confirmed arc volcano Kermadec Arc -34.8667 179.0667 1800 1998 towed camera; 1996 dredging only
EPR, 10 44.6'N active, confirmed mid-ocean ridge N EPR 10.7433 -103.6500 2580 1985 Argo video tow with temperature

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