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
NWLSC, Southern Caldera active, inferred back-arc spreading center Lau Basin -15.9000 -177.4166 2160 2008 plume only
C-ELSC, plume 15 active, inferred back-arc spreading center Lau Basin -21.2700 -176.3470 2230 2004 plume only
MTJ, PAPATUA active, inferred back-arc spreading center Lau Basin -15.3850 -174.6430 2170 1986 PAPATUA Expedition deposits only; 2008 plume only
Philippine Ridge, West Philippine Basin inactive back-arc spreading center West Philippine Basin 12.0000 131.4170 5800 NotProvided
western Manus Basin, Bismarck Sea inactive back-arc spreading center Manus Basin -3.0000 147.0000 1800 NotProvided
Sonne 99 active, confirmed back-arc spreading center North Fiji Basin -16.9500 173.9167 1980 1995 deep tow video and TV-grab
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
N-ELSC, plume 25 active, inferred back-arc spreading center Lau Basin -19.8900 -176.0640 2680 2004 plume only
Mariana Trough, 16.5 N active, inferred back-arc spreading center Mariana Trough 16.4010 144.8700 3829 2015 plume only
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
Tahi Moana 1 active, confirmed back-arc spreading center Lau Basin -20.6900 -176.1800 2256 2008 commercial ROV; 2004 plume only
Kueishan Island active, confirmed back-arc spreading center Okinawa Trough 24.8333 121.9500 30 1999, likely by SCUBA
C-ELSC, plume 17 active, inferred back-arc spreading center Lau Basin -20.9900 -176.2530 2270 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
Deception Island active, confirmed back-arc spreading center Bransfield Strait -62.9500 -60.6500 100 1995 or earlier intertidal
Higa active, confirmed back-arc spreading center Okinawa Trough 26.5550 126.2233 1485 2015 ROV Kaiko
Whale Island active, confirmed back-arc spreading center Taupo Volcanic Zone -37.8600 176.9800 42 1990 or earlier, likely by SCUBA
CLSC, A3 active, confirmed back-arc spreading center Lau Basin -18.6000 -176.4500 2500 1990 submersible Mir
N-ELSC, plume 26 active, inferred back-arc spreading center Lau Basin -19.8200 -176.0420 2600 2004 plume only
Mariana Trough, 18.2 N active, inferred back-arc spreading center Mariana Trough 18.1080 144.7380 3916 2015 plume only
Franklin Seamount active, confirmed back-arc spreading center Woodlark Basin -9.9083 151.8300 2366 1990 submersible Mir
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
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)
VFR, ELSC7 active, inferred back-arc spreading center Lau Basin -22.8833 -176.7500 2050 2009 plume and dredge 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
central Manus Basin, Bismarck Sea inactive back-arc spreading center Manus Basin -3.4199 150.1681 2500 NotProvided
Kueishan Island, offshore active, confirmed back-arc spreading center Okinawa Trough 24.8333 122.0000 1200 2008 or earlier
C-ELSC, plume 18 active, inferred back-arc spreading center Lau Basin -20.9500 -176.2390 2230 2004 plume only
Espalamaca active, confirmed intra-plate volcano 38.5500 -28.6000 50 2010 or earlier likely SCUBA
Macdonald Seamount active, confirmed intra-plate volcano Central Pacific -28.9833 -140.2500 150 1989 submersible Cyana

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To display the full list of Vent Fields, and for export to a CSV file, please click HERE.

The InterRidge Vents Database is hosted by InterRidge at the Institut de Physique du Globe de Paris (IPGP), France.
This site is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 4.0 International License
For more information, contact Stace Beaulieu, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, USA

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