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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 |
| Kilo Moana | active, confirmed | back-arc spreading center | Lau Basin | -20.0532 | -176.1336 | 2620 | 2004 AUV ABE; 2004 plume only on previous cruise |
| N-ELSC, plume 28 | active, inferred | back-arc spreading center | Lau Basin | -19.6500 | -175.9890 | 2550 | 2004 plume only |
| Snail | active, confirmed | back-arc spreading center | Mariana Trough | 12.9533 | 143.6200 | 2880 | 2003 ROV Jason II; 2003 plume only |
| Mariana Trough, 16.5 N | active, inferred | back-arc spreading center | Mariana Trough | 16.4010 | 144.8700 | 3829 | 2015 plume only |
| C-ELSC, plume 18 | active, inferred | back-arc spreading center | Lau Basin | -20.9500 | -176.2390 | 2230 | 2004 plume only |
| West Fiji Ridge | active, inferred | back-arc spreading center | North Fiji Basin | -17.0000 | 176.0000 | 3000 | 1995 deep tow |
| Kueishan Island | active, confirmed | back-arc spreading center | Okinawa Trough | 24.8333 | 121.9500 | 30 | 1999, likely by SCUBA |
| Tu'i Malila | active, confirmed | back-arc spreading center | Lau Basin | -21.9876 | -176.5678 | 1870 | 2005 ROV Jason II; 2004 plume only |
| FRSC, RC 129 and CTD 24 plume sites | active, inferred | back-arc spreading center | Lau Basin | -17.0250 | -174.5017 | 1750 | 2004 plume only; 2004 dredging |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| Higa | active, confirmed | back-arc spreading center | Okinawa Trough | 26.5550 | 126.2233 | 1485 | 2015 ROV Kaiko |
| Vienna Woods, Hydrothermal Field 4 | active, confirmed | back-arc spreading center | Manus Basin | -3.3712 | 150.0360 | 2240 | 1990 TV-grab |
| Tahi Moana 2 | active, confirmed | back-arc spreading center | Lau Basin | -21.9200 | -176.5330 | 1870 | 1989 submersible Nautile (need reference to check if activity confirmed); 2004 plume only; 2008 commercial ROV (report does not confirm activity) |
| MTJ, PAPATUA | active, inferred | back-arc spreading center | Lau Basin | -15.3850 | -174.6430 | 2170 | 1986 PAPATUA Expedition deposits only; 2008 plume only |
| Sonne 99 | active, confirmed | back-arc spreading center | North Fiji Basin | -16.9500 | 173.9167 | 1980 | 1995 deep tow video and TV-grab |
| N-ELSC, plume 29 | active, inferred | back-arc spreading center | Lau Basin | -19.6000 | -175.9750 | 2700 | 2004 plume only |
| Mariana Trough, 18.2 N | active, inferred | back-arc spreading center | Mariana Trough | 18.1080 | 144.7380 | 3916 | 2015 plume only |
| NE Pual | active, confirmed | back-arc spreading center | Manus Basin | -3.6754 | 151.7272 | 1875 | 2006 ROV Jason II |
| Marsili | active, confirmed | back-arc spreading center | Tyrrhenian Back-Arc Basin, Tyrrhenian Sea | 39.2600 | 14.3780 | 800 | 2006 ROV Cherokee; 1989 shimmering water but did not confirm activity |
| NELSC, T08C12 | active, inferred | back-arc spreading center | Lau Basin | -15.2179 | -174.1788 | 2000 | 2008 plume only |
| Deception Island | active, confirmed | back-arc spreading center | Bransfield Strait | -62.9500 | -60.6500 | 100 | 1995 or earlier intertidal |
| Kueishan Island, offshore | active, confirmed | back-arc spreading center | Okinawa Trough | 24.8333 | 122.0000 | 1200 | 2008 or earlier |
| Hafa Adai | active, confirmed | back-arc spreading center | Mariana Trough | 16.9570 | 144.8680 | 3294 | 2016 ROV Deep Discoverer; 2015 AUV Sentry plume mapping |
| FRSC, South Central | active, inferred | back-arc spreading center | Lau Basin | -16.6667 | -174.5167 | 1820 | 2004 plume only; 2006 plume and chimney samples; 2009 camera tow and sampling (activity not confirmed) |
| Station 58, N160 Axis | active, inferred | back-arc spreading center | North Fiji Basin | -16.3167 | 173.5500 | 3900 | 1985 plume only; 1991 temperature anomalies but submersible Shinkai 6500 did not confirm activity |
| Irabu Knoll | active, confirmed | back-arc spreading center | Okinawa Trough | 25.2300 | 124.8800 | 1850 | 2000 submersible Shinkai 6500; 1986 seafloor photos did not confirm activity |
| Tangyin | active, inferred | back-arc spreading center | Okinawa Trough | 25.0667 | 122.5667 | 1206 | 2014 likely by dredging or ROV during the HOBAB3 cruise on R/V Kexue |
| Pika | active, confirmed | back-arc spreading center | Mariana Trough | 12.9183 | 143.6483 | 2990 | 2003 submersible Shinkai 6500; 2003 plume only |