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
Woodlark Basin, Segment 3B active, inferred back-arc spreading center Woodlark Basin -9.8000 155.0667 3300 2009 plume only
Philippine Ridge, West Philippine Basin inactive back-arc spreading center West Philippine Basin 12.0000 131.4170 5800 NotProvided
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
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
Tow Cam active, confirmed back-arc spreading center Lau Basin -20.3169 -176.1367 2700 2004 AUV ABE; 2004 plume only on previous cruise
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
13 N Ridge Site active, confirmed back-arc spreading center Mariana Trough 13.0987 143.6886 3036 2000 deep-tow camera (later, same year - ROV Kaiko)
Little Volcano active, inferred back-arc spreading center Bransfield Strait -62.7500 -59.2500 1500 1995 plume only
VFR, plume 3 active, inferred back-arc spreading center Lau Basin -22.4000 -176.6790 1980 2004 plume only
Woodlark Basin, Segment 5B active, inferred back-arc spreading center Woodlark Basin -9.2540 156.1910 3550 1986 plume only; 2000 plume only
CLSC, southern plumes on CL6 active, inferred back-arc spreading center Lau Basin -18.5000 -176.3833 2250 2009 plume only
N-ELSC, plume 27 active, inferred back-arc spreading center Lau Basin -19.7500 -176.0190 2570 2004 plume only; 2009 plume only
Yokosuka active, confirmed back-arc spreading center Okinawa Trough 25.2638 124.3733 2190 2016 ROV Kaiko; 2014 plume only
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
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)
Tripartite Ridge, south of TR1 inactive back-arc spreading center North Fiji Basin -14.5000 177.0000 3000 NotProvided
MTJ, T08C05 active, inferred back-arc spreading center Lau Basin -15.5134 -174.7407 2100 2008 plume only
Kulo Lasi active, confirmed back-arc spreading center Lau Basin -14.9200 -177.2500 1478 2010 submersible Nautile
West Fiji Ridge active, inferred back-arc spreading center North Fiji Basin -17.0000 176.0000 3000 1995 deep tow
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)
VFR, plume 4 active, inferred back-arc spreading center Lau Basin -22.3400 -176.6590 1700 2004 plume only
MTJ, V12A-04 active, inferred back-arc spreading center Lau Basin -15.9540 -174.7110 1330 2012 plume only
Solwara 11 active, confirmed back-arc spreading center Manus Basin -3.1667 147.1917 1500 2008 commercial ROV; 2000 submersible Nautile did not confirm activity
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
Misiteli active, confirmed back-arc spreading center Lau Basin -22.4700 -176.7030 2050 2008 commercial ROV; 2003 plume 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
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)
N-ELSC, plume 28 active, inferred back-arc spreading center Lau Basin -19.6500 -175.9890 2550 2004 plume only
Espalamaca active, confirmed intra-plate volcano 38.5500 -28.6000 50 2010 or earlier likely SCUBA
El Hierro, Tagoro active, confirmed intra-plate volcano 27.6200 -17.9900 350 2016 submersible JAGO, 2017 ROV Liropus 2000, 2011 water column sampling

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