Scientists aboard R/V Wecoma returning to Newport, Oregon. (full-size)

5/2/2008 Update:
Synopsis as of 2 May 2008-
The earthquake swarms north of the Blanco Transform and on the northern Gorda Ridge segment have subsided and seismicity is at background levels. Overall, it was a very interesting progression of seismicity, beginning with an intense, 10-day intraplate swarm north of the central Blanco Transform. This was followed over the next week by two magnitude 5+ earthquakes (with aftershocks) at the Cascadia basin (central BTF) and along the eastern Blanco Transform. Then surprisingly during the response cruise, another intense earthquake swarm began on the northern Gorda Ridge segment adjacent to the Blanco Transform. The Gorda swarm produced >1000 detected earthquakes over the 5 day duration of the event...full synopsis here.

5 Wecoma event response was led by Ron Greene, Matt Fowler, and Susan Merle of the NOAA Vents Program. Wecoma response cruise operations log now available (pdf). Complete listing of scientists aboard the expedition available here.

4/24/2008 Update:
R/V Wecoma returns to Newport. 11 CTD casts are being analyzed for final results in NOAA Vents laboratories. Hydrophone remains on seafloor to continue monitoring seismic activity. Figure 1 (below) updated to show final cruise track and seismicity at both sites. Northern Gorda seismicity histogram chart and time vs. latitude plot now available.

4/23/2008 Update:
Researchers are investigating another earthquake swarm located on the northern Gorda Ridge which began early Tuesday morning. Wecoma researchers conducting CTDs at new swarm area. (see map at left)

Map showing the earthquakes of the North Gorda swarm from 23-24 April 2008. (click for full size map)

4/22/2008 Update:
CTD casts conducted at East Blanco Depression, Cascadia Depression (CD)and half-way between swarm center and CD. Although the realtime sensors on the CTD do not show any evidence of hydrothermal emissions from the seafloor, only shore-based measurements will provide definitive analyses of the water samples. Ship ahead of schedule allowing further CTD operations. Hydrophone will not be recovered on this expedition.

4/21/2008 Update:
Hydrophone deployed. At-sea analysis of CTD samples from the swarm site show do not show evidence of a hydrothermal plume. Conducting further CTDs at other nearby quake sites. View logbook from Bill Hanshumaker, educator at sea.

4/18/2008 Update:

Figure 1: Map showing the earthquakes, cruise track line and CTD locations. (click for full-size)

Animation of earthquakes through time:

(Quicktime *.mov).
Courtesy of Del Bohnenstiehl, North Carolina State University.

4/17/2008 Update:
A response cruise aboard the R/V Wecoma is scheduled to depart Newport, Oregon on Sunday, April 20th. The focus of the expedition is to search for water-column plumes that might indicate expulsion of hydrothermal or crustal fluids and/or seafloor volcanic activity. NOAA Vents research scientists will be conducting CTD operations at several sites where there has been recent earthquake activity, both on the Juan de Fuca plate and within the Blanco Fracture Zone.

4/14/2008:
On Sunday March 30, 2008,  a large earthquake swarm began within the central Juan de Fuca plate, located ~150 nautical miles west of the Oregon coast and ~ 70 km north of the Blanco Transform Fault (Figure 1). This earthquake swarm (with  red, yellow, brown, purple dots representing different days) is located on a basin between two faulted basement highs that rise above the surrounding, deep abyssal sediments. The swarm, located using the SOSUS hydrophone arrays, has produced more than 600 earthquakes in the past 10 days. This earthquake swarm is unique since it is the first time in 17 years of SOSUS recordings that a set of earthquakes this focused and intense has occurred within the middle of the Juan de Fuca plate away from the major, regional tectonic boundaries.  The abyssal hill nearest the swarm location appears to be on a curved structure that trends northwestward from the Cascadia Depression in the BTFZ toward the Juan de Fuca Ridge. However, seismicity decay rates indicate this is not a standard mainshock-aftershock sequence and some process is sustaining a high stress rate in the crust (Figure 2). Given the midplate location of the swarm, a volcanic event response effort does not seem warranted.* However, this situation represents a rare opportunity to learn more about this very unusual event. Accordingly, we are exploring options for ships-of-opportunity that might be able to take some key samples and measurements with a CTD over the earthquake swarm site with a minimum of time and effort. (*See above update, response cruise is departing April 18 from Newport).

Address inquiries to:
Robert Dziak - Seismologist - Email me
Robert Embley - Geologist - Email me
William Chadwick - Geologist - Email me
Matt Fowler - Analyst - Email me
John Lupton - Plume Studies - Email me