A new discovery in the Cascadia Subduction Zone threatens to trigger a 9.0 earthquake

The site was discovered during a regional expedition in the 2015 Cabled Array, with footage captured by the Canadian remotely operated rover ROPOS. When the researchers went to explore the plumes of bubbles, they discovered a warm, chemically distinct liquid gushing from the sea floor about 50 miles from Newport, Oregon. The researchers believe this fluid comes directly from the Cascadia subduction zone and helps control the buildup of stress between the two plates. | UW (University of Washington), Deborah Kelly/University of Washington/US National Science Foundation/Canadian Submersible Science Facility

NEWPORT, Oregon, April 20, 2023 — Researchers at the University of Washington have discovered a unique underwater geyser, about 50 miles off the Oregon coast, that is leaking a warm, chemically distinct fluid from the Cascadia subduction zone fault. The researchers hypothesize that this liquid acts as a kind of “tectonic lubricant” that could cause catastrophic consequences for the Pacific Northwest if it melts away.

This underwater hole, dubbed the “Oasis of Pythia” after a mythical revelation that prophesied helping the mind alter the gases of hot springs, was first discovered in 2015 by UW graduate and now White House policy advisor Brendan Phillip. At the time, Philippe was tracking methane bubbles that naturally let off steam from the sea floor at the edge of the continental shelf. Since this discovery, thousands of similar bubble streams have been found along the Washington Oregon fringe.

However, despite similar fluid leak sites nearby, University of Washington researchers say the Pythia Oasis is the first of its kind — a spill so significant that it could be detected from the ocean’s surface. This could also explain why the northern part of the Cascadia Subduction Zone (Washington) is thought to be locked more strongly than the southern section (Oregon), UW continued.

“They explored in that direction and what they saw wasn’t just methane bubbles, but water coming out of the seafloor like a firehose. This is something we haven’t seen before. I’ve seen it before, and as far as I know it has never been observed.”

A robot exploring the sea floor found that the “liquid” spewing out of the hole is “almost fresh,” low in saline, rich in minerals, and at least 16 degrees Fahrenheit warmer than the surrounding seawater it seeps into. Researchers speculate that it comes from the Cascadia megathrust where temperatures range between 300 and 500 degrees Fahrenheit.

Solomon continued in the school’s statement, “The loss of fluids from the giant sea front through damaging slip faults is significant, as it reduces fluid pressure between sediment particles and thus increases friction between oceanic and continental plates.”

A research article, published January 25, 2023, by Science Advances, explains that fluid pressure in the Pythia Oasis creates less friction for ocean crust and sediment passing through each other, but if the pressure is lowered, it could cause the two plates to lock, causing a build-up. pressure, which led to a devastating earthquake with a magnitude of 9 on the Richter scale.

The University of Washington indicated that the researchers were not bothered by the discovery of this geological feature that does not cause earthquakes but may regulate friction in the fault zone. The university explained that the feature does not change the current risk of a major earthquake in the Cascadia subduction zone.

Elected officials across Snohomish County have prioritized disaster preparedness recently, with Dave Somers highlighting the need during his State of the County address on Tuesday, April 11.

Brandi Donaghy

To prepare for a major earthquake or similar natural disaster, Washington state lawmakers passed a bill in this legislative session sponsored by Representative Brandi Donaghy (D-Mill Creek), HB-1728, which creates a statewide disaster resilience program.

The bill reached Gov. Jay Inslee’s desk on April 14, 2023, which was signed into law April 20, and requires the Department of Emergency Management, within the military department, to develop and administer a statewide resilience program that includes ways to ensure continued state coordination, local resilience, and response.

“Knowing what risks exist is critical to creating resilient communities and saving countless lives,” said Rep. Donaghy. “We know that for every dollar spent on disaster preparedness and improving resilience, we save six to eight dollars in recovery costs.”

The legislation was passed just two months after the 7.8-magnitude earthquake wiped out Turkey and Syria, killing nearly 60,000 people and leaving millions in tent cities — one of the deadliest earthquakes in that region in recent history.

A FEMA-certified CERT and certified emergency preparedness instructor, Donaghy has made disaster preparedness a top priority for her platform since the campaign.

Recent events have only demonstrated the need to prepare with nearly 150 major disasters in the past 60 years affecting Washington state including floods and wildfires that destroyed more than 140,000 acres of forests last year alone.

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