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
Higa	active, confirmed	back-arc spreading center	Okinawa Trough	26.5550	126.2233	1485	2015 ROV Kaiko
SPOT, Yonaguni Knoll IV	active, confirmed	back-arc spreading center	Okinawa Trough	24.8490	122.7000	1385	2000 submersibles Shinkai 2000 and Shinkai 6500
Mariana Trough, 18.2 N	active, inferred	back-arc spreading center	Mariana Trough	18.1080	144.7380	3916	2015 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
Tarama Knoll	active, confirmed	back-arc spreading center	Okinawa Trough	25.0916	124.5416	1990	2009 ROV HyperDolphin
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)
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
Parece Vela Ridge, Philippine Sea	inactive	back-arc spreading center	Parece Vela Basin	16.0000	139.1667	5000	NotProvided
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
western Manus Basin, Bismarck Sea	inactive	back-arc spreading center	Manus Basin	-3.0000	147.0000	1800	NotProvided
VFR, plume 12	active, inferred	back-arc spreading center	Lau Basin	-21.7300	-176.4530	1910	2004 plume only
Tangyin	active, inferred	back-arc spreading center	Okinawa Trough	25.0667	122.5667	1206	2014 likely by dredging or ROV during the HOBAB3 cruise on R/V Kexue
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
NELSC, T08C09 and T08C18	active, inferred	back-arc spreading center	Lau Basin	-15.4030	-174.2630	1800	2008 plume only
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)
Tahi Moana 1	active, confirmed	back-arc spreading center	Lau Basin	-20.6900	-176.1800	2256	2008 commercial ROV; 2004 plume only
NE Pual	active, confirmed	back-arc spreading center	Manus Basin	-3.6754	151.7272	1875	2006 ROV Jason II
Solwara 19	active, inferred	back-arc spreading center	Manus Basin	-3.6660	148.7640	1039	2009 commercial ROV Fugro FV300 (activity not confirmed)
Tow Cam	active, confirmed	back-arc spreading center	Lau Basin	-20.3169	-176.1367	2700	2004 AUV ABE; 2004 plume only on previous cruise
Peggy Ridge	active, inferred	back-arc spreading center	Lau Basin	-16.9233	-176.8250	1900	1975 or earlier rock samples only; inactive in systematic survey on Arculus cruise SS07/2008
Sumisu Rift	active, inferred	back-arc spreading center	Izu-Bonin back-arc	31.1000	139.8917	1600	1987 submersible Alvin inactive chimneys only
Hafa Adai	active, confirmed	back-arc spreading center	Mariana Trough	16.9570	144.8680	3294	2016 ROV Deep Discoverer; 2015 AUV Sentry plume mapping
Minami-Ensei Knoll	active, confirmed	back-arc spreading center	Okinawa Trough	28.3917	127.6417	740	1988 deep tow TV surveys followed by submersible Shinkai 2000; 1986 dredged Calyptogena shells
N-ELSC, plume 28	active, inferred	back-arc spreading center	Lau Basin	-19.6500	-175.9890	2550	2004 plume only
Whale Island	active, confirmed	back-arc spreading center	Taupo Volcanic Zone	-37.8600	176.9800	42	1990 or earlier, likely by SCUBA
VFR, plume 3	active, inferred	back-arc spreading center	Lau Basin	-22.4000	-176.6790	1980	2004 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
CLSC, A3	active, confirmed	back-arc spreading center	Lau Basin	-18.6000	-176.4500	2500	1990 submersible Mir

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