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 Settingsort descending Region Latitude Longitude Maximum or Single Reported Depth Year and How Discovered
Whale Island active, confirmed back-arc spreading center Taupo Volcanic Zone -37.8600 176.9800 42 1990 or earlier, likely by SCUBA
Momoko active, inferred back-arc spreading center Lau Basin -22.6400 -176.7210 2180 1989 submersible Nautile
Tafu active, confirmed back-arc spreading center Lau Basin -15.3833 -174.2500 1400 2008 or 2009 commercial ROV; 2008 plume only; 2009 ROV Jason II
VFR, ELSC7 active, inferred back-arc spreading center Lau Basin -22.8833 -176.7500 2050 2009 plume and dredge only
Central Andaman Trough, rift valley, dredges 9 and 10 active, inferred back-arc spreading center Andaman Basin 10.4166 94.1666 3350 1994 deposits only
Tahi Moana 1 active, confirmed back-arc spreading center Lau Basin -20.6900 -176.1800 2256 2008 commercial ROV; 2004 plume only
C-ELSC, plume 17 active, inferred back-arc spreading center Lau Basin -20.9900 -176.2530 2270 2004 plume only
FRSC, 14b, 16.31 S active, inferred back-arc spreading center Lau Basin -16.3110 -174.5550 2380 2008 plume only
White Church active, confirmed back-arc spreading center Lau Basin -21.9612 -176.5234 1960 1989 submersible Nautile; 2004 plume survey
CLSC, A3 active, confirmed back-arc spreading center Lau Basin -18.6000 -176.4500 2500 1990 submersible Mir
ABE active, confirmed back-arc spreading center Lau Basin -20.7619 -176.1910 2220 2004 AUV ABE; 2004 plume only on previous cruise
MTJ, T08C05 active, inferred back-arc spreading center Lau Basin -15.5134 -174.7407 2100 2008 plume only
DESMOS Cauldron active, confirmed back-arc spreading center Manus Basin -3.6958 151.8717 2000 1990 deep-sea monitoring system (DESMOS) video and still cameras
N-ELSC, plume 22 active, inferred back-arc spreading center Lau Basin -20.4000 -176.1580 2700 2004 plume only
PACMANUS field active, confirmed back-arc spreading center Manus Basin -3.7250 151.6700 1800 1991 deep-tow camera and video; 1995 submersible Shinkai 6500
Bayonnaise Knoll caldera active, inferred back-arc spreading center Izu-Bonin back-arc 31.9667 139.7333 900 2003 temperature anomalies, but camera survey observed inactive vent deposits
Solwara 11 active, confirmed back-arc spreading center Manus Basin -3.1667 147.1917 1500 2008 commercial ROV; 2000 submersible Nautile did not confirm activity
VFR, plume 12 active, inferred back-arc spreading center Lau Basin -21.7300 -176.4530 1910 2004 plume only
Central Andaman Trough, seamount crater, dredge 6 active, inferred back-arc spreading center Andaman Basin 10.0000 94.0000 1640 1994 deposits only
central Manus Basin, Bismarck Sea inactive back-arc spreading center Manus Basin -3.4199 150.1681 2500 NotProvided
C-ELSC, plume 18 active, inferred back-arc spreading center Lau Basin -20.9500 -176.2390 2230 2004 plume only
FRSC, 14b, 16.11 S active, inferred back-arc spreading center Lau Basin -16.1150 -174.5680 2250 2008 plume only
White Lady active, confirmed back-arc spreading center North Fiji Basin -16.9833 173.9167 2000 1988 towed camera and plume; 1989 submersible Nautile
North Knoll, Iheya Ridge active, confirmed back-arc spreading center Okinawa Trough 27.7908 126.8966 1100 1995 deep tow survey
CLSC, CL_7 active, inferred back-arc spreading center Lau Basin -18.1333 -176.3667 2250 2009 plume only
MTJ, T08C03 and T08C04 active, inferred back-arc spreading center Lau Basin -15.6100 -174.8200 2300 2008 plume only
Tow Cam active, confirmed back-arc spreading center Lau Basin -20.3169 -176.1367 2700 2004 AUV ABE; 2004 plume only on previous cruise
Perseverance active, confirmed back-arc spreading center Mariana Trough 15.4802 144.5077 3935 2016 ROV SuBastian; 2015 AUV Sentry plume mapping
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
Solwara 12 inactive back-arc spreading center Manus Basin -3.7086 151.8834 1920 2009 commercial ROV Fugro FV300 inactive

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