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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| EPR, 21 25'S | active, confirmed | mid-ocean ridge | S EPR | -21.4333 | -114.2917 | 2850 | 1984 submersible Cyana; 1983 deposits 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 |
| Kulo Lasi | active, confirmed | back-arc spreading center | Lau Basin | -14.9200 | -177.2500 | 1478 | 2010 submersible Nautile |
| Tahi Moana 2 | active, confirmed | back-arc spreading center | Lau Basin | -21.9200 | -176.5330 | 1870 | 1989 submersible Nautile (need reference to check if activity confirmed); 2004 plume only; 2008 commercial ROV (report does not confirm activity) |
| CIR, 19 29'S | active, inferred | mid-ocean ridge | CIR | -19.4830 | 65.7330 | 2700 | 1988 plume only; 2000 submersible Nautile did not confirm activity |
| S-OH1 | active, inferred | mid-ocean ridge | N MAR | 34.5330 | -36.8500 | 3000 | 1996 submersible Nautile did not find active vents; 2000 or earlier plume only |
| 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 |
| EPR, Manzanillo Spreading Segment | active, inferred | mid-ocean ridge | N EPR | 18.2500 | -106.3000 | 2600 | 1997 plume only |
| Ngatoroirangi | active, inferred | arc volcano | Kermadec Arc | -33.7310 | 179.8250 | 467 | 2002 plume only |
| Landing Stage | active, inferred | mid-ocean ridge | SWIR | -37.5000 | 51.0000 | 2300 | 2014 leg 2 or 3 of the 30th Chinese Cruise |
| NWLSC, Central Caldera | active, inferred | back-arc spreading center | Lau Basin | -15.8000 | -177.2666 | 2200 | 2008 plume and dredge only |
| EPR, 16 08'S | active, inferred | mid-ocean ridge | S EPR | -16.1300 | -113.0000 | 2640 | 1993 plume only |
| MAR, 33 S | active, inferred | mid-ocean ridge | S MAR | -32.9676 | -14.4517 | 2600 | 2013 plume only |
| CLSC, southern plumes on CL6 | active, inferred | back-arc spreading center | Lau Basin | -18.5000 | -176.3833 | 2250 | 2009 plume only |
| GEISEIR site 36, segment O3 | active, inferred | mid-ocean ridge | SEIR | -47.7009 | 98.0631 | 2700 | 2009 plume only |
| Central Andaman Trough, rift valley, dredges 9 and 10 | active, inferred | back-arc spreading center | Andaman Basin | 10.4166 | 94.1666 | 3350 | 1994 deposits only |
| Mariana Trough, plume 2 | active, inferred | back-arc spreading center | Mariana Trough | 12.7610 | 143.4730 | 2950 | 2003 plume only |
| Tonga Arc, Volcano 14 | active, inferred | arc volcano | Tonga Arc | -23.5750 | -176.7050 | 985 | 2003 plume and dredge only |
| 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 |
| SWIR, 51.7 E | active, inferred | mid-ocean ridge | SWIR | -37.4660 | 51.7320 | 1595 | 2008 plume and dredge only |
| C-ELSC, plume 18 | active, inferred | back-arc spreading center | Lau Basin | -20.9500 | -176.2390 | 2230 | 2004 plume only |
| ESR, E5 | active, inferred | back-arc spreading center | East Scotia Ridge | -57.5000 | -30.2000 | 3000 | 1999 plume only |
| Komba-ridge | active, inferred | arc volcano | Banda/Sunda Arc | -7.9800 | 123.8000 | 1000 | 2001 CTD temperature anomaly and dredged sulfides |
| SEIR-WXC17 | active, inferred | mid-ocean ridge | SEIR | -50.3000 | 133.8000 | 2780 | 2015 plume only |
| EPR, 17 S | active, inferred | mid-ocean ridge | S EPR | -17.0000 | -113.1170 | 2680 | 1993 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) |
| EPR, 22 30'S | active, inferred | mid-ocean ridge | S EPR | -22.5000 | -114.3670 | 2600 | 1985/86 or 1989 TV grab (need to check references to confirm activity) |
| Douglas Strait caldera, Thule Island, South Sandwich Islands | active, inferred | arc volcano | South Sandwich Arc | -59.4167 | -27.3333 | 625 | 2009 plume only; 2008 or earlier high resolution bathymetry only |
| VFR, ELSC7 | active, inferred | back-arc spreading center | Lau Basin | -22.8833 | -176.7500 | 2050 | 2009 plume and dredge 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) |