[4] The caldera was discovered and sampled in 2009 during bathymetric mapping operations carried out by the RRS James Clark Ross.

Deposits left by mass failures such as slide blocks and debris flow chutes occur both in and outside of the caldera.

[17] The arc includes the eleven volcanic South Sandwich Islands and other submarine volcanoes, such as Protector Shoal.

[5] Hydrothermal vents occur at the foot and on the flanks of the resurgent cone and include white smokers.

[25] Water temperatures at Kemp Caldera reach 1 °C (34 °F) while sediments are warmed by volcanic activity to 5 °C (41 °F).

[26] Bacterial mats,[14] clams[26] and limpets settle on the hydrothermal vents,[21] which sustain chemosynthetic communities.

[28] Numerous marine animals have been identified at vent sites, such as actinostolid anemones, the barnacle Neolepas scotiaensis, vesicomyid clams such as Archivesica puertodeseadoi, Lepetodrilus concentricus clams, cocculinid limpets, pycnogonids of the genus Sericosura and the starfish Paulasterias tyleri.

[29] The vesicomyid clam communities are made up of unique species, not found in the nearby East Scotia ridge vent systems.

[30] Away from hydrothermal vents alcyonaceans, brisingids, cnidarians, holothuroids, ophiuroids,[b] polychaetes[c][29] and shrimp[d] live on and in the seafloor.