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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CLSC, A3 | active, confirmed | back-arc spreading center | Lau Basin | -18.6000 | -176.4500 | 2500 | 1990 submersible Mir |
| Parece Vela Ridge, Philippine Sea | inactive | back-arc spreading center | Parece Vela Basin | 16.0000 | 139.1667 | 5000 | NotProvided |
| N-ELSC, plume 22 | active, inferred | back-arc spreading center | Lau Basin | -20.4000 | -176.1580 | 2700 | 2004 plume only |
| Vai Lili | active, confirmed | back-arc spreading center | Lau Basin | -22.2151 | -176.6083 | 1764 | 1989 submersible Nautile |
| NE Pual | active, confirmed | back-arc spreading center | Manus Basin | -3.6754 | 151.7272 | 1875 | 2006 ROV Jason II |
| 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 |
| FRSC, T12A-01 | active, inferred | back-arc spreading center | Lau Basin | -17.7850 | -174.5260 | 500 | 2012 plume only |
| NELSC, T08C12 | active, inferred | back-arc spreading center | Lau Basin | -15.2179 | -174.1788 | 2000 | 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 |
| 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) |
| White Lady | active, confirmed | back-arc spreading center | North Fiji Basin | -16.9833 | 173.9167 | 2000 | 1988 towed camera and plume; 1989 submersible Nautile |
| Lobster | active, inferred | back-arc spreading center | Lau Basin | -15.3330 | -176.2830 | 1500 | 2008 plume and dredge only |
| central Manus Basin, Bismarck Sea | inactive | back-arc spreading center | Manus Basin | -3.4199 | 150.1681 | 2500 | NotProvided |
| Izena Cauldron | active, confirmed | back-arc spreading center | Okinawa Trough | 27.2667 | 127.0833 | 1610 | 1988 submersible Shinkai 2000 |
| Hafa Adai | active, confirmed | back-arc spreading center | Mariana Trough | 16.9570 | 144.8680 | 3294 | 2016 ROV Deep Discoverer; 2015 AUV Sentry plume mapping |
| Sonne 99 | active, confirmed | back-arc spreading center | North Fiji Basin | -16.9500 | 173.9167 | 1980 | 1995 deep tow video and TV-grab |
| CLSC, CL_7 | active, inferred | back-arc spreading center | Lau Basin | -18.1333 | -176.3667 | 2250 | 2009 plume only |
| Peggy Ridge | active, inferred | back-arc spreading center | Lau Basin | -16.9233 | -176.8250 | 1900 | 1975 or earlier rock samples only; inactive in systematic survey on Arculus cruise SS07/2008 |
| 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 |
| Tafu | active, confirmed | back-arc spreading center | Lau Basin | -15.3833 | -174.2500 | 1400 | 2008 or 2009 commercial ROV; 2008 plume only; 2009 ROV Jason II |
| 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) |
| east of Central Spreading Ridge | inactive | back-arc spreading center | North Fiji Basin | -15.4510 | 174.6902 | 3000 | NotProvided |
| Central Spreading Ridge, Station 19 S | active, inferred | back-arc spreading center | North Fiji Basin | -19.0000 | 173.5000 | 3000 | 1991 submersible Shinkai 6500 did not confirm activity |
| Okinawa Trough, Site ES1 | active, inferred | back-arc spreading center | Okinawa Trough | 30.3303 | 129.0827 | 521 | 1992 dredge only |
| N-ELSC, plume 25 | active, inferred | back-arc spreading center | Lau Basin | -19.8900 | -176.0640 | 2680 | 2004 plume only |
| Yokosuka | active, confirmed | back-arc spreading center | Okinawa Trough | 25.2638 | 124.3733 | 2190 | 2016 ROV Kaiko; 2014 plume only |
| CLSC, CL_8 | active, inferred | back-arc spreading center | Lau Basin | -18.0500 | -176.3333 | 2250 | 2009 plume only |
| Pere Lachaise | inactive | back-arc spreading center | North Fiji Basin | -16.9667 | 173.9333 | 2000 | 1989 submersible Nautile did not find activity; 1991 submersible Shinkai 6500 did not find activity |
| Hawaiian Ridge | inactive | intra-plate volcano | Central Pacific | 15.0000 | -157.5000 | 5000 | 1987 or earlier |
| Loihi Seamount | active, confirmed | intra-plate volcano | Central Pacific | 18.9500 | -155.2500 | 4800 | 1985 bottom photography R/V Hakuho Maru; 1987 submersible Alvin |