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.     

An active source electromagnetic sounding system for marine use

Instrumentation has been developed for carrying out active source electromagnetic sounding experiments in the deep oceans. Experiments of this type are directly and uniquely sensitive to the presence of molten or partially molten material, to temperature structure and to the porosity of upper crustal rocks such as those that accommodate hydrothermal circulation systems. Electromagnetic sounding experiments therefore represent an extremely desirable addition to the existing range of geophysical techniques for studying geological processes in thermally, hydrothermally or magmatically active regions—for example, at oceanic spreading centres.The instruments can be operated in regions of rugged, unsedimented sea bottom terrain, and are designed for investigating the distribution of electrical conductivity within the oceanic crust and uppermost mantle. The instrumentation consists of a deep towed, horizontal electric dipole transmitter and a set of free-fall, sea bottom, horizontal electric field recording devices.The transmitter is a deep-towed instrument, which is provided with power from the towing ship through a conducting cable. The transmitter package is fitted with an integral echo sounder, which allows it to be towed safely a short distance above the seabed. Electromagnetic signals are transmitted from a neutrally-buoyant antenna array, which is streamed behind the deep tow.The sea bottom receiving instruments each consist of a recoverable package which contains the instrumentation and digital recording system, an acoustic release unit, four low-noise, porous electrodes arranged in two orthogonal, horizontal dipoles, and a disposable bottom weight.The instruments have been used at sea on three occasions. On their most recent use, active source signals were successfully recorded during an experiment to investigate crustal magmatism and hydrothermal circulation beneath the axis of the East Pacific Rise.     

A comparison between two simultaneous sets of current measurements in the Straint of Juan de Fuca

A comparison is made between a set of current measurements in a section across the Strait of Juan de Fuca and those recorded further upstream at Race Rocks at a single depth. No outstanding common qualitative features are noted. Cross spectra reveal a low correlation for the subtidal current and suggest an intensification of the diurnal modulation of the flow at Race Rocks. The high correlation in the tidal bands allows to calculate this portion of the tidal current at Race Rocks which is coherent with the one sensed across the section.     

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.     

基于多波束测深仪的西太平洋声散射层测量

为了研究西太平洋声散射层的垂向分布特征和日变化规律,分析了多波束测深系统的水体影像数据。观测结果表明,西太平洋存在着两个声散射层,一个声散射层位于0～200 m,另一个声散射层位于500～700 m,两个声散射层散射强度具有明显的日变化特征,上层散射层的散射强度呈现白天弱,夜晚强的特征,而下层散射层的散射强度日变化规律与上层相反,并且发现深散射层的厚度也存在日变化特征;分析了此种方法的优缺点,对以后声散射层的观测分析提供了新的思路。此外,利用同时下放的声速仪(SVP)的温度和深度数据对下放式声学多普勒流速剖面仪(LADCP)的观测结果进行了修正,得到了更为精确的声散射层垂向位置分布。