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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lobster | active, inferred | back-arc spreading center | Lau Basin | -15.3330 | -176.2830 | 1500 | 2008 plume and dredge only |
| 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 |
| 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) |
| 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 |
| Tahi Moana 7 | active, inferred | back-arc spreading center | Lau Basin | -15.3300 | -174.2500 | 1940 | 2004 plume only; 2008 plume only; 2009 video camera tow (activity not confirmed) |
| Kulo Lasi | active, confirmed | back-arc spreading center | Lau Basin | -14.9200 | -177.2500 | 1478 | 2010 submersible Nautile |
| Extensional Relay Zone A | active, inferred | back-arc spreading center | North Fiji Basin | -16.1667 | 177.4167 | 2335 | 1999 towed camera did not confirm activity |
| Deception Island | active, confirmed | back-arc spreading center | Bransfield Strait | -62.9500 | -60.6500 | 100 | 1995 or earlier intertidal |
| NELSC, T08C09 and T08C18 | active, inferred | back-arc spreading center | Lau Basin | -15.4030 | -174.2630 | 1800 | 2008 plume only |
| NWLSC, Southern Caldera | active, inferred | back-arc spreading center | Lau Basin | -15.9000 | -177.4166 | 2160 | 2008 plume only |
| ESR, E5 | active, inferred | back-arc spreading center | East Scotia Ridge | -57.5000 | -30.2000 | 3000 | 1999 plume only |
| Momoko | active, inferred | back-arc spreading center | Lau Basin | -22.6400 | -176.7210 | 2180 | 1989 submersible Nautile |
| 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 |
| FRSC, 14b, 16.31 S | active, inferred | back-arc spreading center | Lau Basin | -16.3110 | -174.5550 | 2380 | 2008 plume only |
| ESR, E9 | active, confirmed | back-arc spreading center | East Scotia Ridge | -60.0500 | -29.9300 | 2402 | 2009 towed video; 1999 plume only; 2010 ROV Isis |
| Little Volcano | active, inferred | back-arc spreading center | Bransfield Strait | -62.7500 | -59.2500 | 1500 | 1995 plume only |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| FRSC, 14b, 16.11 S | active, inferred | back-arc spreading center | Lau Basin | -16.1150 | -174.5680 | 2250 | 2008 plume only |
| VFR, ELSC7 | active, inferred | back-arc spreading center | Lau Basin | -22.8833 | -176.7500 | 2050 | 2009 plume and dredge only |
| North Knoll, Iheya Ridge | active, confirmed | back-arc spreading center | Okinawa Trough | 27.7908 | 126.8966 | 1100 | 1995 deep tow survey |
| Alice Springs Field | active, confirmed | back-arc spreading center | Mariana Trough | 18.2103 | 144.7073 | 3640 | 1987 submersible Alvin; 1982 plume only |
| Niuatahi | active, confirmed | back-arc spreading center | Lau Basin | -15.3790 | -174.0196 | 1635 | 2009 ROV Jason II; 2003 plume only; 2004 dredging (SS11/2004 cruise); 2005 plume only; 2008 commercial ROV (report does not confirm activity) |
| Tahi Moana 1 | active, confirmed | back-arc spreading center | Lau Basin | -20.6900 | -176.1800 | 2256 | 2008 commercial ROV; 2004 plume only |
| Sakai | active, confirmed | back-arc spreading center | Okinawa Trough | 27.5481 | 126.9895 | 1600 | 1988 submersible Shinkai 2000; 1987 plume only |
| Perseverance | active, confirmed | back-arc spreading center | Mariana Trough | 15.4802 | 144.5077 | 3935 | 2016 ROV SuBastian; 2015 AUV Sentry plume mapping |
| Solwara 12 | inactive | back-arc spreading center | Manus Basin | -3.7086 | 151.8834 | 1920 | 2009 commercial ROV Fugro FV300 inactive |