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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SPOT, Hatoma Knoll | active, confirmed | back-arc spreading center | Okinawa Trough | 24.8550 | 123.8410 | 1520 | 1999 submersible Shinkai 2000 |
| White Island | active, confirmed | back-arc spreading center | Taupo Volcanic Zone | -37.5191 | 177.1953 | 30 | 1989 or earlier, likely SCUBA |
| CLSC, northern plumes on CL6 | active, inferred | back-arc spreading center | Lau Basin | -18.1333 | -176.2833 | 2250 | 2009 plume only |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| Mariner | active, confirmed | back-arc spreading center | Lau Basin | -22.1800 | -176.6017 | 1910 | 2003 plume and camera tow; 2004 submersible Shinkai 6500 |
| C-ELSC, unnamed | active, inferred | back-arc spreading center | Lau Basin | -21.1070 | -176.2920 | 2300 | 2004 (assume submersible Shinkai 6500); 2004 plume only on previous cruise |
| MTJ, PAPATUA | active, inferred | back-arc spreading center | Lau Basin | -15.3850 | -174.6430 | 2170 | 1986 PAPATUA Expedition deposits only; 2008 plume only |
| Futagoyama | active, confirmed | back-arc spreading center | Okinawa Trough | 24.8674 | 123.3081 | 1270 | 2016 ROV Kaiko dive 717 |
| Solwara 17 | active, confirmed | back-arc spreading center | Manus Basin | -3.0380 | 147.5280 | 535 | 2009 commercial ROV Fugro FV300; 2008 plumes with some sites subsequently observed with ROV |
| Vienna Woods | active, confirmed | back-arc spreading center | Manus Basin | -3.1667 | 150.2833 | 2500 | 1990 TV-grab (also same year, sampled by submersible Mir); 1985 (or 1986) camera tow vent fauna and inactive chimneys |
| White Church | active, confirmed | back-arc spreading center | Lau Basin | -21.9612 | -176.5234 | 1960 | 1989 submersible Nautile; 2004 plume survey |
| N-ELSC, plume 29 | active, inferred | back-arc spreading center | Lau Basin | -19.6000 | -175.9750 | 2700 | 2004 plume only |
| Mariana Trough, 15.5 N | active, confirmed | back-arc spreading center | Mariana Trough | 15.4080 | 144.5090 | 4196 | 2015 plume only, 2016 ROV did not confirm |
| NELSC, T08C12 | active, inferred | back-arc spreading center | Lau Basin | -15.2179 | -174.1788 | 2000 | 2008 plume only |
| SPOT, Yonaguni Knoll IV | active, confirmed | back-arc spreading center | Okinawa Trough | 24.8490 | 122.7000 | 1385 | 2000 submersibles Shinkai 2000 and Shinkai 6500 |
| NWLSC, Southern Caldera | active, inferred | back-arc spreading center | Lau Basin | -15.9000 | -177.4166 | 2160 | 2008 plume only |
| CLSC, plumes on CL1 | active, inferred | back-arc spreading center | Lau Basin | -17.8667 | -176.3833 | 2250 | 2009 plume only |
| North Knoll, Iheya Ridge | active, confirmed | back-arc spreading center | Okinawa Trough | 27.7908 | 126.8966 | 1100 | 1995 deep tow survey |
| 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) |
| TELVE | active, confirmed | back-arc spreading center | Lau Basin | -22.1667 | -176.6040 | 1760 | 2008 commercial ROV; 2003 plume only |
| Tu'i Malila | active, confirmed | back-arc spreading center | Lau Basin | -21.9876 | -176.5678 | 1870 | 2005 ROV Jason II; 2004 plume only |
| Solwara 18 | active, inferred | back-arc spreading center | Manus Basin | -3.0760 | 147.2390 | 1308 | 2008 plumes with some sites subsequently observed with ROV; 2009 commercial ROV Fugro FV300 (activity not confirmed) |
| Vienna Woods, Hydrothermal Field 4 | active, confirmed | back-arc spreading center | Manus Basin | -3.3712 | 150.0360 | 2240 | 1990 TV-grab |
| 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 |
| White Lady | active, confirmed | back-arc spreading center | North Fiji Basin | -16.9833 | 173.9167 | 2000 | 1988 towed camera and plume; 1989 submersible Nautile |
| 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 |
| Mariana Trough, 16.5 N | active, inferred | back-arc spreading center | Mariana Trough | 16.4010 | 144.8700 | 3829 | 2015 plume only |
| Maka | active, confirmed | back-arc spreading center | Lau Basin | -15.4217 | -174.2850 | 1660 | 2008 commercial ROV; 2004 plume only; 2006 plume and chimney samples |
| 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 |