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
Vienna Woods, Hydrothermal Field 4 active, confirmed back-arc spreading center Manus Basin -3.3712 150.0360 2240 1990 TV-grab
NELSC, T08C12 active, inferred back-arc spreading center Lau Basin -15.2179 -174.1788 2000 2008 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
Kueishan Island, offshore active, confirmed back-arc spreading center Okinawa Trough 24.8333 122.0000 1200 2008 or earlier
CLSC, CL_7 active, inferred back-arc spreading center Lau Basin -18.1333 -176.3667 2250 2009 plume only
SuSu Knolls active, confirmed back-arc spreading center Manus Basin -3.8000 152.1000 1520 1996 towed camera/video; 1993 plume only
Sakai active, confirmed back-arc spreading center Okinawa Trough 27.5481 126.9895 1600 1988 submersible Shinkai 2000; 1987 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
Okinawa Trough, Site ES2 active, inferred back-arc spreading center Okinawa Trough 28.8137 128.1028 779 1992 dredge only
Misiteli active, confirmed back-arc spreading center Lau Basin -22.4700 -176.7030 2050 2008 commercial ROV; 2003 plume only
FRSC, T12A-01 active, inferred back-arc spreading center Lau Basin -17.7850 -174.5260 500 2012 plume only
western Manus Basin, Bismarck Sea inactive back-arc spreading center Manus Basin -3.0000 147.0000 1800 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
N-ELSC, plume 29 active, inferred back-arc spreading center Lau Basin -19.6000 -175.9750 2700 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
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
Philippine Ridge, West Philippine Basin inactive back-arc spreading center West Philippine Basin 12.0000 131.4170 5800 NotProvided
CLSC, CL_8 active, inferred back-arc spreading center Lau Basin -18.0500 -176.3333 2250 2009 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
Izena Cauldron active, confirmed back-arc spreading center Okinawa Trough 27.2667 127.0833 1610 1988 submersible Shinkai 2000
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
ELSC3 active, inferred back-arc spreading center Lau Basin -21.1667 -176.3333 2140 2009 plume only
C-ELSC, plume 19 active, inferred back-arc spreading center Lau Basin -20.8700 -176.2170 2230 2004 plume only
Vai Lili active, confirmed back-arc spreading center Lau Basin -22.2151 -176.6083 1764 1989 submersible Nautile
Whale Island active, confirmed back-arc spreading center Taupo Volcanic Zone -37.8600 176.9800 42 1990 or earlier, likely by SCUBA
Lobster active, inferred back-arc spreading center Lau Basin -15.3330 -176.2830 1500 2008 plume and dredge only
MTJ, T08C05 active, inferred back-arc spreading center Lau Basin -15.5134 -174.7407 2100 2008 plume only
Yokosuka active, confirmed back-arc spreading center Okinawa Trough 25.2638 124.3733 2190 2016 ROV Kaiko; 2014 plume only
Vailulu'u Seamount active, confirmed intra-plate volcano Central Pacific -14.2167 -169.0667 1000 2005 submersible Pisces V; 2000 plume only
Loihi Seamount active, confirmed intra-plate volcano Central Pacific 18.9500 -155.2500 4800 1985 bottom photography R/V Hakuho Maru; 1987 submersible Alvin

Pages