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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| VFR, plume 3 | active, inferred | back-arc spreading center | Lau Basin | -22.4000 | -176.6790 | 1980 | 2004 plume only |
| NWLSC, Central Caldera | active, inferred | back-arc spreading center | Lau Basin | -15.8000 | -177.2666 | 2200 | 2008 plume and dredge only |
| N-ELSC, plume 29 | active, inferred | back-arc spreading center | Lau Basin | -19.6000 | -175.9750 | 2700 | 2004 plume only |
| Mata Ua | active, confirmed | arc volcano | Lau Basin | -15.0166 | -173.7833 | 2397 | 2012 ROV Quest 4000; 2010 plume only (towed camera did not confirm) |
| NELSC, T08C12 | active, inferred | back-arc spreading center | Lau Basin | -15.2179 | -174.1788 | 2000 | 2008 plume only |
| CLSC, CL_8 | active, inferred | back-arc spreading center | Lau Basin | -18.0500 | -176.3333 | 2250 | 2009 plume only |
| VFR, plume 4 | active, inferred | back-arc spreading center | Lau Basin | -22.3400 | -176.6590 | 1700 | 2004 plume only |
| C-ELSC, plume 19 | active, inferred | back-arc spreading center | Lau Basin | -20.8700 | -176.2170 | 2230 | 2004 plume only |
| Kulo Lasi | active, confirmed | back-arc spreading center | Lau Basin | -14.9200 | -177.2500 | 1478 | 2010 submersible Nautile |
| Mata Taha | active, inferred | arc volcano | Lau Basin | -15.0416 | -173.7833 | 2160 | 2010 plume only |
| 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 |
| CLSC, northern plumes on CL6 | active, inferred | back-arc spreading center | Lau Basin | -18.1333 | -176.2833 | 2250 | 2009 plume only |
| White Church | active, confirmed | back-arc spreading center | Lau Basin | -21.9612 | -176.5234 | 1960 | 1989 submersible Nautile; 2004 plume survey |
| VFR, unnamed | active, inferred | back-arc spreading center | Lau Basin | -22.5150 | -176.6500 | 1970 | 2004 plume only |
| Misiteli | active, confirmed | back-arc spreading center | Lau Basin | -22.4700 | -176.7030 | 2050 | 2008 commercial ROV; 2003 plume only |
| C-ELSC, unnamed | active, inferred | back-arc spreading center | Lau Basin | -21.1070 | -176.2920 | 2300 | 2004 (assume submersible Shinkai 6500); 2004 plume only on previous cruise |
| Lucky B | active, inferred | mid-ocean ridge | Lena Trough | 81.3610 | -3.4400 | 4000 | 1999 dredging only |
| Champagne Hot Springs | active, confirmed | arc volcano | Lesser Antilles Arc | 15.2500 | -61.3830 | 5 | 2001 or earlier (assume SCUBA) |
| Kick'em Jenny submarine volcano | active, confirmed | arc volcano | Lesser Antilles Arc | 12.2833 | -61.6667 | 265 | 2003 ROV Eastern Oceanics; 1989 submersible Johnson-Sea-Link II (did not confirm activity); 2001 plume only |
| Montserrat Offshore Springs | active, confirmed | arc volcano | Lesser Antilles Arc | 16.7100 | -62.2300 | 10 | 1996 or earlier (assume SCUBA) |
| Montserrat-Marie Galante fault | active, inferred | arc volcano | Lesser Antilles Arc | 16.4600 | -61.9820 | 1000 | 1987 plume and deposits |
| Bataan | active, inferred | arc volcano | Luzon/Bicol Arc | 20.0000 | 122.0000 | 2002 or earlier some indications of activity | |
| Leyte | active, inferred | arc volcano | Luzon/Bicol Arc | 11.5000 | 124.7000 | 2002 or earlier some indications of activity | |
| Vienna Woods | active, confirmed | back-arc spreading center | Manus Basin | -3.1667 | 150.2833 | 2500 | 1990 TV-grab (also same year, sampled by submersible Mir); 1985 (or 1986) camera tow vent fauna and inactive chimneys |
| Solwara 17 | active, confirmed | back-arc spreading center | Manus Basin | -3.0380 | 147.5280 | 535 | 2009 commercial ROV Fugro FV300; 2008 plumes with some sites subsequently observed with ROV |
| Vienna Woods, Hydrothermal Field 4 | active, confirmed | back-arc spreading center | Manus Basin | -3.3712 | 150.0360 | 2240 | 1990 TV-grab |
| Solwara 18 | active, inferred | back-arc spreading center | Manus Basin | -3.0760 | 147.2390 | 1308 | 2008 plumes with some sites subsequently observed with ROV; 2009 commercial ROV Fugro FV300 (activity not confirmed) |
| Solwara 19 | active, inferred | back-arc spreading center | Manus Basin | -3.6660 | 148.7640 | 1039 | 2009 commercial ROV Fugro FV300 (activity not confirmed) |
| 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 |
| 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 |