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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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) |
| Hine Hina | active, confirmed | back-arc spreading center | Lau Basin | -22.5300 | -176.6970 | 1900 | 1989 submersible Nautile |
| Tahi Moana 2 | active, confirmed | back-arc spreading center | Lau Basin | -21.9200 | -176.5330 | 1870 | 1989 submersible Nautile (need reference to check if activity confirmed); 2004 plume only; 2008 commercial ROV (report does not confirm activity) |
| N-ELSC, plume 28 | active, inferred | back-arc spreading center | Lau Basin | -19.6500 | -175.9890 | 2550 | 2004 plume only |
| Mata Ua | active, confirmed | arc volcano | Lau Basin | -15.0166 | -173.7833 | 2397 | 2012 ROV Quest 4000; 2010 plume only (towed camera did not confirm) |
| MTJ, T08C01 | active, inferred | back-arc spreading center | Lau Basin | -15.9629 | -174.7961 | 2400 | 2008 plume only |
| VFR, plume 4 | active, inferred | back-arc spreading center | Lau Basin | -22.3400 | -176.6590 | 1700 | 2004 plume only |
| Kilo Moana | active, confirmed | back-arc spreading center | Lau Basin | -20.0532 | -176.1336 | 2620 | 2004 AUV ABE; 2004 plume only on previous cruise |
| ABE | active, confirmed | back-arc spreading center | Lau Basin | -20.7619 | -176.1910 | 2220 | 2004 AUV ABE; 2004 plume only on previous cruise |
| Tahi Moana 7 | active, inferred | back-arc spreading center | Lau Basin | -15.3300 | -174.2500 | 1940 | 2004 plume only; 2008 plume only; 2009 video camera tow (activity not confirmed) |
| N-ELSC, plume 29 | active, inferred | back-arc spreading center | Lau Basin | -19.6000 | -175.9750 | 2700 | 2004 plume only |
| Mata Taha | active, inferred | arc volcano | Lau Basin | -15.0416 | -173.7833 | 2160 | 2010 plume only |
| FRSC, Fonualei South | active, confirmed | back-arc spreading center | Lau Basin | -17.5352 | -174.5668 | 1620 | 2012 ROV Quest 4000 |
| VFR, unnamed | active, inferred | back-arc spreading center | Lau Basin | -22.5150 | -176.6500 | 1970 | 2004 plume only |
| FRSC, Central | active, inferred | back-arc spreading center | Lau Basin | -16.4917 | -174.5417 | 2419 | 2004 plume only |
| MTJ, PAPATUA | active, inferred | back-arc spreading center | Lau Basin | -15.3850 | -174.6430 | 2170 | 1986 PAPATUA Expedition deposits only; 2008 plume only |
| Lucky B | active, inferred | mid-ocean ridge | Lena Trough | 81.3610 | -3.4400 | 4000 | 1999 dredging only |
| Champagne Hot Springs | active, confirmed | arc volcano | Lesser Antilles Arc | 15.2500 | -61.3830 | 5 | 2001 or earlier (assume SCUBA) |
| Montserrat-Marie Galante fault | active, inferred | arc volcano | Lesser Antilles Arc | 16.4600 | -61.9820 | 1000 | 1987 plume and deposits |
| Montserrat Offshore Springs | active, confirmed | arc volcano | Lesser Antilles Arc | 16.7100 | -62.2300 | 10 | 1996 or earlier (assume SCUBA) |
| Kick'em Jenny submarine volcano | active, confirmed | arc volcano | Lesser Antilles Arc | 12.2833 | -61.6667 | 265 | 2003 ROV Eastern Oceanics; 1989 submersible Johnson-Sea-Link II (did not confirm activity); 2001 plume only |
| Leyte | active, inferred | arc volcano | Luzon/Bicol Arc | 11.5000 | 124.7000 | 2002 or earlier some indications of activity | |
| Bataan | active, inferred | arc volcano | Luzon/Bicol Arc | 20.0000 | 122.0000 | 2002 or earlier some indications of activity | |
| 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 |
| Solwara 13 | active, confirmed | back-arc spreading center | Manus Basin | -3.7320 | 151.7465 | 2000 | 2009 commercial ROV Fugro FV300; 1993 plume only |
| Vienna Woods, Hydrothermal Field 4 | active, confirmed | back-arc spreading center | Manus Basin | -3.3712 | 150.0360 | 2240 | 1990 TV-grab |
| central Manus Basin, Bismarck Sea | inactive | back-arc spreading center | Manus Basin | -3.4199 | 150.1681 | 2500 | NotProvided |
| Solwara 16 | active, inferred | back-arc spreading center | Manus Basin | -3.4380 | 149.9670 | 2163 | 2009 commercial ROV Fugro FV300 (activity not confirmed) |
| 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 |
| NE Pual | active, confirmed | back-arc spreading center | Manus Basin | -3.6754 | 151.7272 | 1875 | 2006 ROV Jason II |