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
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
SPOT, Yonaguni Knoll IV	active, confirmed	back-arc spreading center	Okinawa Trough	24.8490	122.7000	1385	2000 submersibles Shinkai 2000 and Shinkai 6500
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
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, PAPATUA	active, inferred	back-arc spreading center	Lau Basin	-15.3850	-174.6430	2170	1986 PAPATUA Expedition deposits only; 2008 plume only
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)
Tarama Knoll	active, confirmed	back-arc spreading center	Okinawa Trough	25.0916	124.5416	1990	2009 ROV HyperDolphin
western Manus Basin, Bismarck Sea	inactive	back-arc spreading center	Manus Basin	-3.0000	147.0000	1800	NotProvided
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
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
VFR, ELSC7	active, inferred	back-arc spreading center	Lau Basin	-22.8833	-176.7500	2050	2009 plume and dredge only
Si'iSi'i	active, confirmed	back-arc spreading center	Lau Basin	-22.2900	-176.6290	1950	2008 commercial ROV; 2003 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
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)
Whale Island	active, confirmed	back-arc spreading center	Taupo Volcanic Zone	-37.8600	176.9800	42	1990 or earlier, likely by SCUBA
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
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
FRSC, 11a-3	active, inferred	back-arc spreading center	Lau Basin	-16.7950	-174.5230	2000	2008 plume only
VFR, plume 12	active, inferred	back-arc spreading center	Lau Basin	-21.7300	-176.4530	1910	2004 plume only
Alice Springs Field	active, confirmed	back-arc spreading center	Mariana Trough	18.2103	144.7073	3640	1987 submersible Alvin; 1982 plume only
Tahi Moana 1	active, confirmed	back-arc spreading center	Lau Basin	-20.6900	-176.1800	2256	2008 commercial ROV; 2004 plume only
Snail	active, confirmed	back-arc spreading center	Mariana Trough	12.9533	143.6200	2880	2003 ROV Jason II; 2003 plume only

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