Deepsea eruption expected off Vancouver Island after
200 earthquakes in an hour
An image of the sea floor at the Endeavour segment of
the Juan de Fuca Ridge is shown in a handout photo.
Scientists say they recorded 200 earthquakes in an hour
on the sea floor 260 kilometres off the coast of
Tofino, B.C., suggesting it will erupt. THE CANADIAN
PRESS/HO-Ocean Network Canada/Ocean Exploration Trust
Ashley Joannou
The Canadian Press
Staff
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Updated March 11, 2024 6:09 p.m. MDT
Published March 11, 2024 2:40 p.m. MDT
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An eruption of magma under the Pacific Ocean floor far
off Vancouver Island will be so hot the water will fizz
but only scientists will notice.
Scientists with Ocean Networks Canada are predicting an
eruption is coming anywhere from a few weeks to a few
years from now after they detected up to 200 small
earthquakes per hour in the area last week.
They say the expected rupture - about five kilometres
deep and 260 kilometres off the coast of Tofino, on the
west coast of Vancouver Island - will be too distant
and small to be cause for concern.
However, it offers a unique opportunity to learn more
about how the Earth's crust is formed.
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Martin Scherwath, a senior scientist with the
organization, said it will be the first chance for the
phenomenon to be captured by the network's underwater
instruments.
The Neptune observatory has been collecting data from
the site since equipment was first installed in 2009.
“So, this is the first time where a cable network
observatory (has been) there all the time, and we
actually have a chance to realize what's happening,”
Scherwath said.
He said the Earth's crust doesn't build slowly over
time, but rather develops through this type of burst of
cooled magma that was last recorded about 20 years ago.
“There will be a major spreading event, and we want to
know exactly how much is it spreading, how much new
ocean crust it is generating, (and) how fast,” he said.
Ocean Networks Canada says the observatory has seen
increased earthquake activity in the area known as the
Endeavour segment of the Juan de Fuca Ridge for years,
but that peaked on March 6, when it recorded the
highest level of earthquake activity in nearly two
decades.
“What happened last week was just really outstanding in
comparison (with) the gradual increase that we have
seen,” Scherwath said.
“So, there might have been a few a day on average, but
200 is an outstanding number.”
During the last eruption 20 years ago, scientists only
had seismometers on the ocean floor to collect
information about the earthquakes.
This time, data will be collected in almost real time
and include additional equipment to measure temperature
changes, or any sound from lava breaching the sea
floor.
The magma is estimated to be about 800 degrees Celsius
but will cool rapidly when it hits the ocean water.
Scherwath said “almost fluid, runny rock” will come out
of the sea floor, solidify and quickly turn black,
while the heat causes the water around it to fizz.
He said he and fellow geophysicists will be watching to
see how much of the Earth's crust is formed with one
eruption, while biologists will be most interested in
how animals respond to any changes.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published
March 11, 2024
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