The determination of resistivity and porosity of the sediment and fractured basalt layers near the Juan de Fuca Ridge

Summary. In the summer of 1984 an electrical survey using magnetometric off-shore electrical sounding (MOSES) was conducted at two sites in Middle Valley, part of the northern Juan de Fuca Ridge complex. MOSES has been designed to minimize the difficulties inherent in electrical surveys of the crust below the electrically conductive sea layer. Site 1, at 48°32N, 128°42W, is in the central part of the turbidite-filled basin. Using a two-layer model of conductive sediments overlying a fractured basalt basement, the sediment resistivity and thickness were found to be 0.82 ± 0.06 Ωm and 1800 ± 300 m, respectively. The basement resistivity, although not well constrained by the data is consistent with the results obtained at site 2.
Site 2, located at 48°10N, 128°50W, has a thinner sediment layer, which appears to vary with position. The sediment conductivity—thickness product is the parameter determined by the data. If the sediment resistivity were the same as at site 1, the sediment thickness would be 140 ± 30 m to the SE of site 2, and 240 ± 55 m to the NW. The fractured basalt basement has a resistivity of 8.5 ± 3.4 Ωm and is at least 1000 m thick.
Using temperature-corrected pore fluid resistivity, the calculated porosity is found to vary from 62 per cent at the top to 21 per cent at the base of the sediments and is 8 per cent in the basement. These values are in good agreement with estimates from seismic velocities for a thick turbidite sequence in a nearby sediment-filled basin and determined for layer 2A/B basalts in DSDP hole 504B, respectively.