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
Izena Cauldron	active, confirmed	back-arc spreading center	Okinawa Trough	27.2667	127.0833	1610	1988 submersible Shinkai 2000
FRSC, Fonualei South	active, confirmed	back-arc spreading center	Lau Basin	-17.5352	-174.5668	1620	2012 ROV Quest 4000
Higa	active, confirmed	back-arc spreading center	Okinawa Trough	26.5550	126.2233	1485	2015 ROV Kaiko
Vai Lili	active, confirmed	back-arc spreading center	Lau Basin	-22.2151	-176.6083	1764	1989 submersible Nautile
White Island	active, confirmed	back-arc spreading center	Taupo Volcanic Zone	-37.5191	177.1953	30	1989 or earlier, likely SCUBA
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
Okinawa Trough, Site ES1	active, inferred	back-arc spreading center	Okinawa Trough	30.3303	129.0827	521	1992 dredge only
Sonne 99	active, confirmed	back-arc spreading center	North Fiji Basin	-16.9500	173.9167	1980	1995 deep tow video and TV-grab
Mariana Trough, 18.2 N	active, inferred	back-arc spreading center	Mariana Trough	18.1080	144.7380	3916	2015 plume only
Alice Springs Field	active, confirmed	back-arc spreading center	Mariana Trough	18.2103	144.7073	3640	1987 submersible Alvin; 1982 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
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
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
Temakons	active, confirmed	back-arc spreading center	New Hebrides back-arc	-17.5667	169.1000	1400	1994 towed camera with temperature
N-ELSC, plume 28	active, inferred	back-arc spreading center	Lau Basin	-19.6500	-175.9890	2550	2004 plume only
Lobster	active, inferred	back-arc spreading center	Lau Basin	-15.3330	-176.2830	1500	2008 plume and dredge only
Tahi Moana 1	active, confirmed	back-arc spreading center	Lau Basin	-20.6900	-176.1800	2256	2008 commercial ROV; 2004 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
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
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
NWLSC, Southern Caldera	active, inferred	back-arc spreading center	Lau Basin	-15.9000	-177.4166	2160	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)
CLSC, A3	active, confirmed	back-arc spreading center	Lau Basin	-18.6000	-176.4500	2500	1990 submersible Mir
Okinawa Trough, Site ES2	active, inferred	back-arc spreading center	Okinawa Trough	28.8137	128.1028	779	1992 dredge only
NELSC, T08C09 and T08C18	active, inferred	back-arc spreading center	Lau Basin	-15.4030	-174.2630	1800	2008 plume only
Philippine Ridge, West Philippine Basin	inactive	back-arc spreading center	West Philippine Basin	12.0000	131.4170	5800	NotProvided
N-ELSC, plume 29	active, inferred	back-arc spreading center	Lau Basin	-19.6000	-175.9750	2700	2004 plume only
Sumisu Rift	active, inferred	back-arc spreading center	Izu-Bonin back-arc	31.1000	139.8917	1600	1987 submersible Alvin inactive chimneys 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
central Manus Basin, Bismarck Sea	inactive	back-arc spreading center	Manus Basin	-3.4199	150.1681	2500	NotProvided

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