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
VFR, ELSC7	active, inferred	back-arc spreading center	Lau Basin	-22.8833	-176.7500	2050	2009 plume and dredge only
Deception Island	active, confirmed	back-arc spreading center	Bransfield Strait	-62.9500	-60.6500	100	1995 or earlier intertidal
FRSC, 11a-3	active, inferred	back-arc spreading center	Lau Basin	-16.7950	-174.5230	2000	2008 plume only
SuSu Knolls	active, confirmed	back-arc spreading center	Manus Basin	-3.8000	152.1000	1520	1996 towed camera/video; 1993 plume only
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
ESR, E2	active, confirmed	back-arc spreading center	East Scotia Ridge	-56.0917	-30.3250	2641	2009 towed video; 1999 plume only; 2010 ROV Isis
Tarama Knoll	active, confirmed	back-arc spreading center	Okinawa Trough	25.0916	124.5416	1990	2009 ROV HyperDolphin
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
West Fiji Ridge	active, inferred	back-arc spreading center	North Fiji Basin	-17.0000	176.0000	3000	1995 deep tow
C-ELSC, plume 18	active, inferred	back-arc spreading center	Lau Basin	-20.9500	-176.2390	2230	2004 plume only
N-ELSC, plume 26	active, inferred	back-arc spreading center	Lau Basin	-19.8200	-176.0420	2600	2004 plume only
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
MTJ, T08C03 and T08C04	active, inferred	back-arc spreading center	Lau Basin	-15.6100	-174.8200	2300	2008 plume only
VFR, plume 12	active, inferred	back-arc spreading center	Lau Basin	-21.7300	-176.4530	1910	2004 plume only
FRSC, T12A-01	active, inferred	back-arc spreading center	Lau Basin	-17.7850	-174.5260	500	2012 plume only
Little Volcano	active, inferred	back-arc spreading center	Bransfield Strait	-62.7500	-59.2500	1500	1995 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
ESR, E5	active, inferred	back-arc spreading center	East Scotia Ridge	-57.5000	-30.2000	3000	1999 plume only
Tow Cam	active, confirmed	back-arc spreading center	Lau Basin	-20.3169	-176.1367	2700	2004 AUV ABE; 2004 plume only on previous cruise
Pika	active, confirmed	back-arc spreading center	Mariana Trough	12.9183	143.6483	2990	2003 submersible Shinkai 6500; 2003 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
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
VFR, plume 3	active, inferred	back-arc spreading center	Lau Basin	-22.4000	-176.6790	1980	2004 plume only
Kulo Lasi	active, confirmed	back-arc spreading center	Lau Basin	-14.9200	-177.2500	1478	2010 submersible Nautile
DESMOS Cauldron	active, confirmed	back-arc spreading center	Manus Basin	-3.6958	151.8717	2000	1990 deep-sea monitoring system (DESMOS) video and still cameras
MTJ, T08C03, 15.72 S	active, inferred	back-arc spreading center	Lau Basin	-15.7186	-174.8338	2400	2008 plume only
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)
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
Hine Hina	active, confirmed	back-arc spreading center	Lau Basin	-22.5300	-176.6970	1900	1989 submersible Nautile

Search form

Pages