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
Maka	active, confirmed	back-arc spreading center	Lau Basin	-15.4217	-174.2850	1660	2008 commercial ROV; 2004 plume only; 2006 plume and chimney samples
Tripartite Ridge, south of TR1	inactive	back-arc spreading center	North Fiji Basin	-14.5000	177.0000	3000	NotProvided
Kueishan Island, offshore	active, confirmed	back-arc spreading center	Okinawa Trough	24.8333	122.0000	1200	2008 or earlier
Higa	active, confirmed	back-arc spreading center	Okinawa Trough	26.5550	126.2233	1485	2015 ROV Kaiko
MTJ, PAPATUA	active, inferred	back-arc spreading center	Lau Basin	-15.3850	-174.6430	2170	1986 PAPATUA Expedition deposits only; 2008 plume only
C-ELSC, plume 17	active, inferred	back-arc spreading center	Lau Basin	-20.9900	-176.2530	2270	2004 plume only
Dugong submarine volcano	active, inferred	back-arc spreading center	Lau Basin	-15.4500	-175.7000	1170	2008 plume only
VFR, plume 4	active, inferred	back-arc spreading center	Lau Basin	-22.3400	-176.6590	1700	2004 plume only
Three Sisters, Middle Sister	active, inferred	back-arc spreading center	Bransfield Strait	-62.6420	-58.9833	1040	1995 plume only; 1999 still had no visual confirmation
Mariana Trough, 18.2 N	active, inferred	back-arc spreading center	Mariana Trough	18.1080	144.7380	3916	2015 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
Mariana Mounds	active, confirmed	back-arc spreading center	Mariana Trough	18.0333	144.2833	3600	1987 submersible Alvin
Snail	active, confirmed	back-arc spreading center	Mariana Trough	12.9533	143.6200	2880	2003 ROV Jason II; 2003 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
MTJ, T08C05	active, inferred	back-arc spreading center	Lau Basin	-15.5134	-174.7407	2100	2008 plume only
Mussel Valley	active, confirmed	back-arc spreading center	North Fiji Basin	-18.8167	173.4833	2700	1989 submersible Nautile; 1987 plume; 1988 towed camera did not confirm activity
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
Nifonea Ridge	active, confirmed	back-arc spreading center	New Hebrides back-arc	-18.1330	169.5170	1900	2001 towed video; 2013 ROV Kiel 6000 black smokers
Tripartite Ridge, south of TR3	inactive	back-arc spreading center	North Fiji Basin	-14.0745	175.4729	3000	NotProvided
ESR, E2	active, confirmed	back-arc spreading center	East Scotia Ridge	-56.0917	-30.3250	2641	2009 towed video; 1999 plume only; 2010 ROV Isis
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
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
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
C-ELSC, plume 18	active, inferred	back-arc spreading center	Lau Basin	-20.9500	-176.2390	2230	2004 plume only
VFR, unnamed	active, inferred	back-arc spreading center	Lau Basin	-22.5150	-176.6500	1970	2004 plume only
Hook Ridge	active, confirmed	back-arc spreading center	Bransfield Strait	-62.1940	-57.2745	1080	1997 hot sediment; 1995 plume only; 1999 even hotter sediment
North Knoll, Iheya Ridge	active, confirmed	back-arc spreading center	Okinawa Trough	27.7908	126.8966	1100	1995 deep tow survey
Misiteli	active, confirmed	back-arc spreading center	Lau Basin	-22.4700	-176.7030	2050	2008 commercial ROV; 2003 plume only
NELSC, T08C09 and T08C18	active, inferred	back-arc spreading center	Lau Basin	-15.4030	-174.2630	1800	2008 plume only
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)

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