Ridge event detection: T-phase signals from the Juan de Fuca spreading center

An analysis of T-phase source locations determined in the mid-1960s for an area of the northeast Pacific Ocean encompassing the Juan de Fuca spreading center reveals that most of the source locations are associated with regions where seamount chains intersect the spreading center and with edifices both along and near the spreading center. The T-phase source locations also tend to cluster on, or near, areas of the most concentrated and vigorous hydrothermal venting along the Juan de Fuca Ridge. Of the 58 T-phase source locations determined for a period from October 1964 through December 1966, only one was found to be associated with an earthquake detected by the National Geophysical Data Center/National Earthquake Information Service because of the characteristic small magnitude of spreading-center seismic events. Monitoring T-phase activity originating along the 80 000 km-long global seafloor spreading-center system offers a practical and unique opportunity to better understand the dynamics and oceanic effects of episodic spreading-center tectonic, volcanic, and hydrothermal processes.     

Late Quaternary tectonics,northern end of Juan de Fuca Ridge (northeast Pacific)

Seismic reflection profiles from the northern end of Juan de Fuca Ridge reveal three axial valleys having a basement relief of as much as 2 sec (two-way travel time). A thick sequence, presumably of turbidites, mainly less than 0.7 m.y. old, covers much of the area. The oldest turbidites form the upper part of the fill of a possible Tertiary trench between the ridge and North America. The second turbidite unit extends beyond the trench and once formed an abyssal plain over most of northern Juan de Fuca Ridge and the area west to Explorer Ridge. Following formation of the plain, vertical movements began that broadly uplifted the crest of Juan de Fuca Ridge, block-faulted its northern end, produced faulting along Sovanco Fracture Zone, and upwarped the basement north of the ridge. Younger turbidites have filled the lowlands created by the vertical movements. The present sea floor topography and seismic activity show evidence of continued movements.     

Transparent exopolymer particles (TEP) as a component of hydrothermal plume particle dynamics

Transparent exopolymer particles (TEP) have recently been recognized as a class of sticky particles that often stimulate macroaggregate formation. Until now, TEP studies were focused on surface waters, particularly in association with diatom blooms. This is the first report of TEP concentrations in an open ocean deep-sea hydrothermal plume environment. The occurrence of TEP in deep water demonstrates its existence in an environment that is devoid of growing phytoplankton, the organisms generally regarded as TEP's primary source. The main objective of this study was to investigate the presence and potential abundance of TEP within hydrothermal plumes over the Juan de Fuca Ridge. Samples for TEP and bacteria were collected from CTD-rosette casts through hydrothermal plumes over the Juan de Fuca Ridge during the summers of 1999 and 2000. Concentrations of TEP and bacteria within the hydrothermal plumes were significantly greater than in background seawater. TEP number and volume concentrations reported here are low compared to reported values for shallow environments, but are substantially higher than published reports of TEP in other deep water environments. Ratios of TEP anomalies to temperature anomalies (a conservative hydrothermal tracer) increased with distance from the apparent plume source, suggesting that TEP are produced within the aging hydrothermal plumes. Potential TEP sources associated with hydrothermal plumes are discussed. TEP in hydrothermal plumes could stimulate in situ aggregate formation, support populations of attached bacteria, and serve as a potential food source to zooplankton.     

Tectonic evolution of Gorda Ridge inferred from sidescan sonar images

Gorda Ridge is the southern segment of the Juan de Fuca Ridge complex, in the north-east Pacific. Along-strike spreading-rate variation on Gorda Ridge and deformation of Gorda Plate are evidence for compression between the Pacific and Gorda Plates. GLORIA sidescan sonographs allow the spreading fabric associated with Gorda Ridge to be mapped in detail. Between 5 and 2 Ma, a pair of propagating rifts re-orientated the northern segment of Gorda Ridge by about 10° clockwise, accommodating a clockwise shift in Pacific-Juan de Fuca plate motion that occurred around 5 Ma. Deformation of Gorda Plate, associated with southward decreasing spreading rates along southern Gorda Ridge, is accommodated by a combination of clockwise rotation of Gorda Plate crust, coupled with left-lateral motion on the original normal faults of the ocean crust. Segments of Gorda Plate which have rotated by different amounts are separated by narrow deformation zones across which sharp changes in ocean fabric trend are seen. Although minor lateral movement may occur on these NW to WNW structures, no major right-lateral movement, as predicted by previous models, is observed.     

Fault pattern from seabeam processing: The western part of the Blanco Fracture Zone (NE pacific)

The Blanco Fracture Zone, which connects the Juan de Fuca and Gorda ridges, is structurally complex and contains numerous pull-apart basins and accretion centres. It terminates at its western end in two troughs where the Juan de Fuca Ridge progressively dies out. This unusual structure is studied in detail using bathymetric analysis which allows the fault pattern to be determined. The method developed to extract structural information involves numerical treatment of the gridded bathymetry derived from image processing methods. The detailed mapping of the fault pattern shows that the active zone corresponds to a N100° E strike-slip zone which connects the southern end of the Juan de Fuca Ridge with the northeastern edge of the Blanco Trough, via the northwestern wall of the Parks Plateau. The present day direction of the active zone comes after a previous one trending at N115° E, apparently within the same area. The Parks Plateau results from a jump of the plate boundary from the southern to northern limits of the plateau. Deformation over the past 2 Ma results from a northeastward displacement of the junction between the transform zone and the ridge.     

First measurements from a deep-tow transient electromagnetic sounding system

An electromagnetic sounding system has been developed to map the shallow electrical conductivity structure of the deep sea floor. The instrument consists of a magnetic source and several colinear magnetic receivers forming an array which is towed along the seafloor. The source generates a time varying magnetic field; the shape of the resulting magnetic field waveform at the receivers depends on the electrical conductivity below the seafloor between the receivers and the source. The instrument can be towed systematically over a study area under acoustic transponder or GPS navigation to construct a map of the electrical conductivity. Towing speeds of greater than 1 m s^–1 (2 knots) can be achieved without adversely effecting data quality. The instrument is sufficiently robust to survive continual contact with thinly sedimented, abrasive basalt. We present the first results from a deployment in August, 1990 near the Cleft Segment of the Juan de Fuca Ridge along an 8 km track to the west of the spreading center. Unforeseen problems with the instrument restricted the utility of the measurements for constructing detailed vertical conductivity profiles, but the measurements were adequate to determine an average conductivity in the upper 25 m, at more than 70 stations. The conductivity was found to vary from 0.1 to 0.4 S/m along the track.     

EMRIDGE: The electromagnetic investigation of the Juan de Fuca Ridge

From July to November 1988, a major electromagnetic (EM) experiment, known as EMRIDGE, took place over the southern end of the Juan de Fuca Ridge in the northeast Pacific. It was designed to complement the previous EMSLAB experiment which covered the entire Juan de Fuca Plate, from the spreading ridge to subduction zone. The principal objective of EMRIDGE was to use natural sources of EM induction to investigate the processes of ridge accretion. Magnetotelluric (MT) sounding and Geomagnetic Depth Sounding (GDS) are well suited to the study of the migration and accumulation of melt, hydrothermal circulation, and the thermal evolution of dry lithosphere. Eleven magnetometers and two electrometers were deployed on the seafloor for a period of three months. Simultaneous land-based data were made available from the Victoria Magnetic Observatory, B.C., Canada and from a magnetometer sited in Oregon, U.S.A.Changes in seafloor bathymetry have a major influence on seafloor EM observations as shown by the orientation of the real GDS induction arrows away from the ridge axis and towards the deep ocean. Three-dimensional (3D) modelling, using a thin-sheet algorithm, shows that the observed EM signature of the Juan de Fuca Ridge and Blanco Fracture Zone is primarily due to nonuniform EM induction within the ocean, associated with changes in ocean depth. Furthermore, if the influence of the bathymetry is removed from the observations, then no significant conductivity anomaly is required at the ridge axis. The lack of a major anomaly is significant in the light of evidence for almost continuous hydrothermal venting along the neo-volcanic zone of the southern Juan de Fuca Ridge: such magmatic activity may be expected to have a distinct electrical conductivity signature, from high temperatures, hydrothermal fluids and possible melt accumulation in the crust.Estimates of seafloor electrical conductivity are made by the MT method, using electric field records at a site 35 km east of the ridge axis, on lithosphere of age 1.2 Ma, and magnetic field records at other seafloor sites. On rotating the MT impedance tensor to the principal axis orientation, significant anisotropy between the major (TE) and minor (TM) apparent resistivities is evident. Phase angles also differ between the principal axis polarisations, and TM phase are greater than 90° at short periods. Thin-sheet modelling suggests that bathymetric changes accounts for some of the observed 3D induction, but two-dimensional (2D) electrical conductivity structure in the crust and upper mantle, aligned with the ridge axis, may also be present. A one-dimensional (1D) inversion of the MT data suggests that the top 50 km of Earth is electrically resistive, and that there is a rise in conductivity at approximately 300 km. A high conductivity layer at 100 km depth is also a feature of the 1D inversion, but its presence is less well constrained.     

Petrology of seamounts in the Central Indian Ocean Basin: Evidence for near-axis origin

Previous studies on the distribution and morphology of ancient seamount chains (> 50 Ma) in the Central Indian Ocean basin (CIOB) indicated their generation from the fast spreading Southeast Indian Ridge. Here we describe the petrology of some of these seamounts. Fresh glass veneers of pillow basalts from these seamounts were analyzed by electron microprobe. The rocks show a low content of TiO₂ and FeO and moderate Mg# suggesting slow eruption of a minimally fractionated N-MORB magma. In terms of chemistry and morphology, CIOB seamounts are indistinguishable from seamounts across slow spreading MAR and fast spreading EPR.     

Objective classification of oceanic ridge-crest terrains using two-dimensional spectral models of bathymetry: Application to the Juan de Fuca Ridge

An important application of detailed bathymetric mapping is the interpretation of geological processes based on the nature of the fine-scale morphology of the seafloor. This interpretation is usually accomplished through qualitative analysis of contour maps. In this paper, an objective classification technique, based on a two-dimensional spectral model of bathymetry developed by Fox and Hayes (1985) is applied to detailed Sea Beam data from the Juan de Fuca Ridge. Parameters of the model can be directly related to seafloor properties corresponding to 1) isotropic (non-directionally dependent) roughness; 2) anisotropic (directionally dependent) roughness; 3) orientation of the anisotropic component; and 4) spectral rool-off ( fractal dimension), by fitting the model surface to two-dimensional amplitude spectra of bathymetry determined on a regular grid over the study area. A test area was selected which encompasses the southern volcanic rift zone of Axial Volcano and the northern terminus of the Vance Segment. Parameters of the model clearly define the contrast between the constructional volcanic terrain (rough, isotropic, with high fractal dimension) and the tectonic extensional terrain (smoother, anisotropic, with low fractal dimension). An agglomerative, hierarchical cluster analysis is applied to the data, independent of spatial information, to delineate groups of spectra with similar characteristics. Distinct, mappable regions, corresponding to volcanic and tectonic provinces, are objectively determined. Also, coherent sub-regions of consistent spectral properties occur within the larger volcanic/tectonic divisions. The classification is extended to the Juan de Fuca Ridge system from 44°30 N to 47°20 N through combining these results with an a priori technique (K-means clustering). Broad-scale physiographic regions of the Juan de Fuca Ridge are delineated by the technique, which may aid geologists in the interpretation of crustal accretion processes at seafloor spreading centers.The U.S. Government right to retain a non-exclusive royaltyfree license in and to any copyright is acknowledged.     

A comparison of black smoker hydrothermal plume behavior at Monolith Vent and at Clam Acres Vent Field: Dependence on source configuration

Quantitative visualization of acoustic images is used to compare the properties and behavior of high temperature hydrothermal plumes at two sites with different source configurations, increasing our understanding of how plume behavior reflects source configuration. Acoustic imaging experiments were conducted at the Clam Acres area of the Southwest Vent Field, 21°N East Pacific Rise and at Monolith Vent, North Cleft segment, Juan de Fuca Ridge. At Clam Acres, black smokers discharge from two adjacent chimneys which act as point sources, whereas multiple vents at Monolith Vent define a distributed elliptical source. Both plumes exhibit consistent dilution patterns, reasonable fits to the expected power law increase in centerline dilution with height, and simple bending of plume centerlines in response to ambient currents. Our data suggest that point source vents are associated with ordered plume structure, normal entrainment rates, and initial expansion of isosurfaces while distributed source vents are associated with disorganized plume structure, variable entrainment rates, and initial contraction of isosurfaces.     

胡安·德富卡洋脊因代沃段热液黑烟囱体成矿物质来源:硫同位素的限制

选取胡安·德富卡洋脊(Juan de Fuca Ridge,JDFR)因代沃(Endeavour)段的17个热液黑烟囱体样品对其中的硫同位素进行分析测定,讨论了因代沃段热液活动区内黑烟囱体成矿的物质来源、将硫同位素数据与已发表的热液流体及硫化物数据耦合,并结合前人的成果得到如下认识:(1)因代沃段硫化物的硫同位素组成与其他无沉积物覆盖的洋脊硫化物硫同位素组成相似,然而其相比于南胡安·德富卡洋脊(South Juan de Fuca Ridge,SJFR)硫化物亏损重同位素;(2)结合前人研究成果,如果SJFR硫化物的硫全部来自基底玄武岩的淋洗与海水中的硫酸盐,那么因代沃段硫化物的硫可能有1%~3%来自沉积物的贡献,故提出因代沃段成矿系统中的硫来源主要来自基底玄武岩,同时伴随有少量海水硫酸盐来源及沉积物来源的硫加入;(3)将硫同位素数据与已发表的热液流体及硫化物数据进行耦合发现热液流体中的沉积物信号与硫化物中的硫可能来自不同的源,并提出沉积物端元可能位于下渗区。     

Basinal seamounts and seamount chains of the Central Indian Ocean: Probable near-axis origin from a fast-spreading Ridge

Hydrosweep mapping of crust in the Central Indian Ocean Basin reveals abundant volcanoes ocurring both as isolated seamounts and linear seamount chains parallel to flow lines. Their shapes, sizes and overall style of occurrence are indistinguishable from near-axis seamounts in the Pacific. Evidence from seamount morphology, distributions and petrography of dredged samples suggests that they were generated near the fast-spreading Southeast Indian Ridge at 50–60 Ma. If so, this style of near-axis seamount generation may be a result of fast-spreading rate rather than a peculiarity of the present Pacific spreading ridges. In fact, the results of several recent studies, taken together, suggest that the style of axis/near-axis seamount volcanism varies systematically as a function of spreading rate.     

胡安·德富卡洋脊因代沃段热液黑烟囱体成矿物质来源:硫同位素的限制

选取胡安.德富卡洋脊(Juan de Fuca Ridge,JDFR)因代沃(Endeavour)段的17个热液黑烟囱体样品对其中的硫同位素进行分析测定,讨论了因代沃段热液活动区内黑烟囱体成矿的物质来源、将硫同位素数据与已发表的热液流体及硫化物数据耦合,并结合前人的成果得到如下认识:(1)因代沃段硫化物的硫同位素组成与其他无沉积物覆盖的洋脊硫化物硫同位素组成相似,然而其相比于南胡安.德富卡洋脊(South Juan de Fuca Ridge,SJFR)硫化物亏损重同位素;(2)结合前人研究成果,如果SJFR硫化物的硫全部来自基底玄武岩的淋洗与海水中的硫酸盐,那么因代沃段硫化物的硫可能有1%～3%来自沉积物的贡献,故提出因代沃段成矿系统中的硫来源主要来自基底玄武岩,同时伴随有少量海水硫酸盐来源及沉积物来源的硫加入;(3)将硫同位素数据与已发表的热液流体及硫化物数据进行耦合发现热液流体中的沉积物信号与硫化物中的硫可能来自不同的源,并提出沉积物端元可能位于下渗区。     

Seabed shear stresses under random waves: predictions vs estimates from field measurements

The paper discusses the seabed shear stresses under random waves, and compares model predictions with results from field measurements near the seabed in the Strait of Juan de Fuca, Washington State, and at EDDA, North Sea. The model predictions as well as the interpretation of data are based on three different representative measures of random wave velocities within 12 minute records: root-mean-square, significant and maximum values. From the two locations the best agreement is found for the Strait of Juan de Fuca data regardless of the random velocity measure used. This agreement is attributed to the absence of suspended sediment at this location.     

Morphology of the Blanco Transform Fault Zone-NE Pacific: Implications for its tectonic evolution

The right-lateral Blanco Transform Fault Zone (BTFZ) offsets the Gorda and the Juan de Fuca Ridges along a 350 km long complex zone of ridges and right-stepping depressions. The overall geometry of the BTFZ is similar to several other oceanic transform fault zones located along the East Pacific Rise (e.g., Siquieros) and to divergent wrench faults on continents; i.e., long strike-slip master faults offset by extensional basins. These depressions have formed over the past 5 Ma as the result of continual reorientation of the BTFZ in response to changes in plate motion. The central depression (Cascadia Depression) is flanked by symmetrically distributed, inward-facing back-tilted fault blocks. It is probably a short seafloor spreading center that has been operating since about 5 Ma, when a southward propagating rift failed to kill the last remnant of a ridge segment. The Gorda Depression on the eastern end of the BTFZ may have initially formed as the result of a similar occurrence involving a northward propagating rift on the Gorda ridge system. Several of the smaller basins (East Blanco, Surveyor and Gorda) morphologically appear to be oceanic analogues of continental pull-apart basins. This would imply diffuse extension rather than the discrete neovolcanic zone associated with a typical seafloor spreading center. The basins along the western half of the BTFZ have probably formed within the last few hundred thousands years, possibly as the result of a minor change in the Juan de Fuca/Pacific relative motion.     

A deep-sea observatory experiment using acoustic extensometers:precise horizontal distance measurements across a mid-ocean ridge

In July 2000, an array of instruments called acoustic extensometers was deployed at the Cleft segment of the southern Juan de Fuca Ridge, a seafloor observatory site selected by the National Science Foundation RIDGE Program. These instruments are designed to precisely measure horizontal deformation across the axis of a mid-ocean ridge in order to detect and quantify seafloor spreading events. The instruments were deployed in semipermanent seafloor benchmarks in a linear array that is 1.2-km long and spans the floor of the axial valley. The instruments make daily measurements of distance to their neighbors in the array by recording the round trip travel time of 100-kHz acoustic pulses, and simultaneous temperature measurements are used to correct the ranges for sound speed variations. The instruments are expected to have lifetimes of at least five years. In addition, precise pressure measurements have been made at each benchmark with a remotely operated vehicle in order to monitor for vertical deformation across the array. Preliminary results show that the resolution of the acoustic measurements is ±1-2 cm and that no abrupt deformation events occurred during the first year     

中太平洋海山群漂移史及其来源

中太平洋海山群的海山呈簇状排列且近EW向展布于太平洋海山密集区，其四周分布着一系列NW走向的线性列岛及规模巨大的水下海山链。它位于明显属于海山链构造的夏威夷群岛和马绍尔群岛之间，处于莱恩群岛的北西向延伸方向上，与热点作用的板内火山作用关系密切。结合前人对中太平洋海山群形成和漂移的认识，从板块运动和几何学角度出发，采用Backtracking和Hot-spotting海山追踪方法对该区海山进行了追踪，发现该区海山的热点源主要位于现今法属玻利尼西亚群岛区（法属玻利尼西亚热点群），这与前人从古地磁和钻探资料出发得到的结果相接近。研究表明，中太平洋海山群是多热点成因的板内火山作用和板块构造运动的共同产物，它在130～90Ma期间起源于法属玻利尼西亚热点群，曾随着太平洋板块发生过向南和向北的运动，既有水平方向的漂移又有垂直方向上的升降，在漂移和升降过程中还受到了当时大规模多期的热点活动和断裂活动的改造作用，经过一个漫长的过程后才到达今天的位置，最后形成了现今呈簇状分布的海山群。     

Chemical variations of hydrothermal particles in the 1996 Gorda Ridge Event and chronic plumes

In response to the 1996 magmatic intrusion on the Gorda Ridge near 42.68°N, 126.78°W in late February, we conducted three cruises to the region in March, April, and June. On all three cruises particulate samples were collected, along with CTD/nephelometer data and total dissolved Fe and Mn samples. During each cruise, we collected samples from large oblate spheroid-shaped event plumes. These event plumes had long axis diameters of about 10–15 km and ranged in depth from about 1800 to 2700 m. A strong linear correlation between nephelometer voltage and particulate Fe allowed us to estimate the total amount of particulate Fe in the event plumes at approximately 20×10⁶ moles of Fe, or 28% of the Fe in the 1986 megaplume on the Cleft Segment of the Juan de Fuca Ridge. We observed significant decreases in particulate Cu and Zn concentrations (>100% decrease in Cu/Fe and Zn/Fe ratios) between the Gorda Ridge event plumes. These results suggest that each of the two event plumes originated from a chemically distinct source fluid. Fe ferrihydrite particles maintained a constant ratio of coprecipitated oxyanion species in the two event plumes. Based upon the chemical inventories for particulate Fe, P, and V, we suggest that event plumes might play a small role in the geochemical budgets for these elements.     

Historical Gorda Ridge t-phase swarms: relationships to ridge structure and the tectonic and volcanic state of the ridge during 1964–1966

The U.S. Navy’s Sound Surveillance System (SOSUS) hydrophone arrays are extemely efficient receptors of a high-frequency earthquake energy phase known as the t(ertiary)-wave, or t-phase (Fox et al., 1994). After a nearly 30-year hiatus in such studies, SOSUS arrays are again being utilized to detect t-phases and to locate seismic and volcanic events occurring along the Gorda seafloor spreading center (Fox et al., 1995; Fox and Dziak, 1998). Earlier, Northrop et al. (1968) also used other military arrays to infer tectonic structure along the Gorda Ridge. From October 1964 through December 1966, over 600 low-magnitude earthquakes occurred along the Gorda Ridge. Nearly all of these events had magnitudes below the detection thresholds of land-based seismic networks. Northrop et al. (1968) interpreted the geographic distribution of these events as evidence for a nascent fracture zone near the midpoint of the ridge. In the present study, the spatial distributions of these older data and, for the first time, their temporal distributions as well, were examined with respect to detailed bathymetry of the ridge that was acquired in the early 1980s. This analysis, of 570 on-axis and 74 off-axis events, led to the following observations: (1) nearly all of the Gorda Ridge t-phase events occurred in discreet swarms centered about the ridge axis, (2) most of the events within each of 8 (of 9) observed swarms occurred mainly along single ridge segments, and, (3) reconfirming the earlier Northrop et al. (1968) conclusion, most of the events originated in the region of a major change in the strike of the ridge axis. During the 27-month interval that the ridge was observed, relatively few t-phase events took place along the northernmost segment of the Gorda Ridge where the 1996 eruption occurred. However, a unique sequence of small events which visually resemble the events associated with a Juan de Fuca Ridge eruption in 1993 (Fox et al., 1995) and a Gorda Ridge eruption in 1996 (Fox and Dziak, 1998) may have been associated with an eruption on the ridge during 1965.