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 Settingsort descending Region Latitude Longitude Maximum or Single Reported Depth Year and How Discovered
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)
FRSC, RC 129 and CTD 24 plume sites active, inferred back-arc spreading center Lau Basin -17.0250 -174.5017 1750 2004 plume only; 2004 dredging
Mussel Valley active, confirmed back-arc spreading center North Fiji Basin -18.8167 173.4833 2700 1989 submersible Nautile; 1987 plume; 1988 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
Solwara 12 inactive back-arc spreading center Manus Basin -3.7086 151.8834 1920 2009 commercial ROV Fugro FV300 inactive
PACMANUS field active, confirmed back-arc spreading center Manus Basin -3.7250 151.6700 1800 1991 deep-tow camera and video; 1995 submersible Shinkai 6500
FRSC, T12A-01 active, inferred back-arc spreading center Lau Basin -17.7850 -174.5260 500 2012 plume only
Tripartite Ridge, south of TR1 inactive back-arc spreading center North Fiji Basin -14.5000 177.0000 3000 NotProvided
ESR, E5 active, inferred back-arc spreading center East Scotia Ridge -57.5000 -30.2000 3000 1999 plume only
MTJ, T08C01 active, inferred back-arc spreading center Lau Basin -15.9629 -174.7961 2400 2008 plume only
N-ELSC, plume 29 active, inferred back-arc spreading center Lau Basin -19.6000 -175.9750 2700 2004 plume only
VFR, plume 4 active, inferred back-arc spreading center Lau Basin -22.3400 -176.6590 1700 2004 plume only
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
C-ELSC, plume 15 active, inferred back-arc spreading center Lau Basin -21.2700 -176.3470 2230 2004 plume only
Misiteli active, confirmed back-arc spreading center Lau Basin -22.4700 -176.7030 2050 2008 commercial ROV; 2003 plume only
FRSC, South Central active, inferred back-arc spreading center Lau Basin -16.6667 -174.5167 1820 2004 plume only; 2006 plume and chimney samples; 2009 camera tow and sampling (activity not confirmed)
North Knoll, Iheya Ridge active, confirmed back-arc spreading center Okinawa Trough 27.7908 126.8966 1100 1995 deep tow survey
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
TELVE active, confirmed back-arc spreading center Lau Basin -22.1667 -176.6040 1760 2008 commercial ROV; 2003 plume only
Solwara 13 active, confirmed back-arc spreading center Manus Basin -3.7320 151.7465 2000 2009 commercial ROV Fugro FV300; 1993 plume only
Tripartite Ridge, south of TR3 inactive back-arc spreading center North Fiji Basin -14.0745 175.4729 3000 NotProvided
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
Yokosuka active, confirmed back-arc spreading center Okinawa Trough 25.2638 124.3733 2190 2016 ROV Kaiko; 2014 plume only
FRSC, Fonualei South active, confirmed back-arc spreading center Lau Basin -17.5352 -174.5668 1620 2012 ROV Quest 4000
VFR, unnamed active, inferred back-arc spreading center Lau Basin -22.5150 -176.6500 1970 2004 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
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
Yoron Hole active, confirmed back-arc spreading center Okinawa Trough 27.4916 127.5333 590 2010 ROV Hyperdolphin
Nifonea Ridge active, confirmed back-arc spreading center New Hebrides back-arc -18.1330 169.5170 1900 2001 towed video; 2013 ROV Kiel 6000 black smokers
Tahi Moana 1 active, confirmed back-arc spreading center Lau Basin -20.6900 -176.1800 2256 2008 commercial ROV; 2004 plume only

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