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Title: Thermal environment of the Southern Washington region of the Cascadia subduction zone

Abstract

Eleven recently collected multichannel seismic (MCS) profiles from the Cascadia Open–Access Seismic Transects experiment offshore Washington State are used to characterize the distribution of bottom–simulating reflectors (BSRs) from seaward of the deformation front onto the continental shelf of the Cascadia Subduction Zone. The 11 MCS lines consisted of nine lines perpendicular and two lines parallel to the Cascadia margin covering a 100 km along–strike region of the accretionary wedge. From these MCS profiles we generated a 3–D view of the Cascadia margin thermal structure by interpreting 40,232 individual BSR picks in terms of temperature and heat flow. Overall BSR–derived heat flow values decrease from approximately 95 mW m–2 10 km east of the deformation front to approximately 60 mW m–2 located 60 km landward of the deformation front. Anomalously low heat flow values near 25 mW m–2 on a prominent midmargin terrace indicate recent sediment failure within the accretionary prism. Localized differences between BSR heat flow and numerical models reflect an estimated regional mean vertical fluid flow of +0.53 cm yr–1 for the survey area, with localized fluid flow approaching a maximum of +3.8 cm yr–1. Distinct finite element models for the nine MCS profiles perpendicular to the deformation frontmore » reproduce BSR heat flow values, producing an overall root–mean–square misfit of 10.2 mW m–2. In conclusion, at the deformation front, the incoming oceanic sediment/crust interface temperatures vary from 164°C to 179°C, indicating the updip limit of the Cascadia seismogenic zone.« less

Authors:
ORCiD logo [1]; ORCiD logo [1]; ORCiD logo [2]
  1. Univ. of Washington, Seattle, WA (United States)
  2. Oregon State Univ., Corvallis, OR (United States)
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
Univ. of Washington, Seattle, WA (United States)
Sponsoring Org.:
USDOE Office of Fossil Energy (FE)
OSTI Identifier:
1474277
Alternate Identifier(s):
OSTI ID: 1374206
Grant/Contract Number:  
FE0013998; 1458211; 1339635
Resource Type:
Journal Article: Accepted Manuscript
Journal Name:
Journal of Geophysical Research. Solid Earth
Additional Journal Information:
Journal Volume: 122; Journal Issue: 8; Journal ID: ISSN 2169-9313
Publisher:
American Geophysical Union
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
58 GEOSCIENCES; BSR; heat flow; thermal model; subduction zone

Citation Formats

Salmi, Marie S., Johnson, H. Paul, and Harris, Robert N. Thermal environment of the Southern Washington region of the Cascadia subduction zone. United States: N. p., 2017. Web. doi:10.1002/2016JB013839.
Salmi, Marie S., Johnson, H. Paul, & Harris, Robert N. Thermal environment of the Southern Washington region of the Cascadia subduction zone. United States. https://doi.org/10.1002/2016JB013839
Salmi, Marie S., Johnson, H. Paul, and Harris, Robert N. 2017. "Thermal environment of the Southern Washington region of the Cascadia subduction zone". United States. https://doi.org/10.1002/2016JB013839. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1474277.
@article{osti_1474277,
title = {Thermal environment of the Southern Washington region of the Cascadia subduction zone},
author = {Salmi, Marie S. and Johnson, H. Paul and Harris, Robert N.},
abstractNote = {Eleven recently collected multichannel seismic (MCS) profiles from the Cascadia Open–Access Seismic Transects experiment offshore Washington State are used to characterize the distribution of bottom–simulating reflectors (BSRs) from seaward of the deformation front onto the continental shelf of the Cascadia Subduction Zone. The 11 MCS lines consisted of nine lines perpendicular and two lines parallel to the Cascadia margin covering a 100 km along–strike region of the accretionary wedge. From these MCS profiles we generated a 3–D view of the Cascadia margin thermal structure by interpreting 40,232 individual BSR picks in terms of temperature and heat flow. Overall BSR–derived heat flow values decrease from approximately 95 mW m–2 10 km east of the deformation front to approximately 60 mW m–2 located 60 km landward of the deformation front. Anomalously low heat flow values near 25 mW m–2 on a prominent midmargin terrace indicate recent sediment failure within the accretionary prism. Localized differences between BSR heat flow and numerical models reflect an estimated regional mean vertical fluid flow of +0.53 cm yr–1 for the survey area, with localized fluid flow approaching a maximum of +3.8 cm yr–1. Distinct finite element models for the nine MCS profiles perpendicular to the deformation front reproduce BSR heat flow values, producing an overall root–mean–square misfit of 10.2 mW m–2. In conclusion, at the deformation front, the incoming oceanic sediment/crust interface temperatures vary from 164°C to 179°C, indicating the updip limit of the Cascadia seismogenic zone.},
doi = {10.1002/2016JB013839},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1474277}, journal = {Journal of Geophysical Research. Solid Earth},
issn = {2169-9313},
number = 8,
volume = 122,
place = {United States},
year = {Tue Jul 11 00:00:00 EDT 2017},
month = {Tue Jul 11 00:00:00 EDT 2017}
}

Journal Article:
Free Publicly Available Full Text
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Citation Metrics:
Cited by: 12 works
Citation information provided by
Web of Science

Figures / Tables:

Figure 1 Figure 1: Location of COAST 2012 multichannel seismic profiles (black lines) with their corresponding line numbers (white text). White lines trace prominent anticlinal ridges visible in the MCS. LDEO OBSs (blue circles) deployed during the 2012–2013 years within the Langseth survey area were equipped with thermistors. CTD cast location (redmore » square) was used for BSR seafloor temperature calculations, and sediment cores (grey circles) were used for BSR heat flow sedimentation correction. Inset displays IODP/ODP borehole (red dots) and continental heat flow measurements (grey dots) including those used in the current study (blue dots). Green dots mark major metropolitan cities.« less

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Works referenced in this record:

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Heat flow variations from bottom simulating reflectors on the Cascadia margin
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Gas hydrate stability and the assessment of heat flow through continental margins
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The effects of sedimentation and compaction on oceanic heat flow
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Works referencing / citing this record:

Anomalous Concentration of Methane Emissions at the Continental Shelf Edge of the Northern Cascadia Margin
journal, March 2019


A Lack of Dynamic Triggering of Slow Slip and Tremor Indicates That the Shallow Cascadia Megathrust Offshore Vancouver Island Is Likely Locked
journal, October 2018


A High Wave Speed Basal Sedimentary Layer Identified From Seismic Imaging of the Plate Boundary in Central Cascadia
journal, July 2019