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
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
Sumisu Rift	active, inferred	back-arc spreading center	Izu-Bonin back-arc	31.1000	139.8917	1600	1987 submersible Alvin inactive chimneys only
ESR, E5	active, inferred	back-arc spreading center	East Scotia Ridge	-57.5000	-30.2000	3000	1999 plume 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
Mariana Trough, Central Trough	active, confirmed	back-arc spreading center	Mariana Trough	18.0467	144.7533	3676	1987 submersible Alvin
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
NWLSC, Central Caldera	active, inferred	back-arc spreading center	Lau Basin	-15.8000	-177.2666	2200	2008 plume and dredge only
FRSC, 14b, 16.31 S	active, inferred	back-arc spreading center	Lau Basin	-16.3110	-174.5550	2380	2008 plume only
MTJ, T08C03, 15.72 S	active, inferred	back-arc spreading center	Lau Basin	-15.7186	-174.8338	2400	2008 plume only
Tarama Knoll	active, confirmed	back-arc spreading center	Okinawa Trough	25.0916	124.5416	1990	2009 ROV HyperDolphin
Tu'i Malila	active, confirmed	back-arc spreading center	Lau Basin	-21.9876	-176.5678	1870	2005 ROV Jason II; 2004 plume only
SuSu Knolls	active, confirmed	back-arc spreading center	Manus Basin	-3.8000	152.1000	1520	1996 towed camera/video; 1993 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
Mariner	active, confirmed	back-arc spreading center	Lau Basin	-22.1800	-176.6017	1910	2003 plume and camera tow; 2004 submersible Shinkai 6500
Vienna Woods, Hydrothermal Field 4	active, confirmed	back-arc spreading center	Manus Basin	-3.3712	150.0360	2240	1990 TV-grab
Momoko	active, inferred	back-arc spreading center	Lau Basin	-22.6400	-176.7210	2180	1989 submersible Nautile
FRSC, 14b, 16.11 S	active, inferred	back-arc spreading center	Lau Basin	-16.1150	-174.5680	2250	2008 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
Perseverance	active, confirmed	back-arc spreading center	Mariana Trough	15.4802	144.5077	3935	2016 ROV SuBastian; 2015 AUV Sentry plume mapping
western Manus Basin, Bismarck Sea	inactive	back-arc spreading center	Manus Basin	-3.0000	147.0000	1800	NotProvided
MTJ, T08C01	active, inferred	back-arc spreading center	Lau Basin	-15.9629	-174.7961	2400	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
FRSC, 11a-3	active, inferred	back-arc spreading center	Lau Basin	-16.7950	-174.5230	2000	2008 plume only
Alice Springs Field	active, confirmed	back-arc spreading center	Mariana Trough	18.2103	144.7073	3640	1987 submersible Alvin; 1982 plume only
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
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
Whale Island	active, confirmed	back-arc spreading center	Taupo Volcanic Zone	-37.8600	176.9800	42	1990 or earlier, likely by SCUBA

Search form

Pages