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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Natsushima 84-1 Knoll | active, confirmed | back-arc spreading center | Okinawa Trough | 27.5750 | 127.1417 | 1600 | 1986 submersible Shinkai 2000 |
| MTJ, T08C03 and T08C04 | active, inferred | back-arc spreading center | Lau Basin | -15.6100 | -174.8200 | 2300 | 2008 plume only |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| ESR, E5 | active, inferred | back-arc spreading center | East Scotia Ridge | -57.5000 | -30.2000 | 3000 | 1999 plume only |
| SPOT, Yonaguni Knoll IV | active, confirmed | back-arc spreading center | Okinawa Trough | 24.8490 | 122.7000 | 1385 | 2000 submersibles Shinkai 2000 and Shinkai 6500 |
| 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 |
| 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) |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| MTJ, T08C03, 15.72 S | active, inferred | back-arc spreading center | Lau Basin | -15.7186 | -174.8338 | 2400 | 2008 plume only |
| 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) |
| Tu'i Malila | active, confirmed | back-arc spreading center | Lau Basin | -21.9876 | -176.5678 | 1870 | 2005 ROV Jason II; 2004 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 |
| 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 |
| Si'iSi'i | active, confirmed | back-arc spreading center | Lau Basin | -22.2900 | -176.6290 | 1950 | 2008 commercial ROV; 2003 plume only |
| Perseverance | active, confirmed | back-arc spreading center | Mariana Trough | 15.4802 | 144.5077 | 3935 | 2016 ROV SuBastian; 2015 AUV Sentry plume mapping |
| MTJ, T08C01 | active, inferred | back-arc spreading center | Lau Basin | -15.9629 | -174.7961 | 2400 | 2008 plume only |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| 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) |