1. A Sea-Floor Spreading Event Captured by Seismometers.
- Author
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Tolstoy, M., Cowen, J. P., Baker, E. T., Fornari, D. J., Rubin, K. H., Shank, T. M., Waldhauser, F., Bohnenstiehl, D. R., Forsyth, D. W., Holmes, R. C., Love, B., Perfit, M. R., Weekly, R. T., Soule, S. A., and Glazer, B.
- Subjects
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SURFACE of the earth , *SEISMOMETERS , *MID-ocean ridges , *SEA-floor spreading , *PLATE tectonics , *SUBMARINE topography , *GEODYNAMICS , *GEOPHYSICS - Abstract
Two-thirds of Earth's surface is formed at mid-ocean ridges, yet sea-floor spreading events are poorly understood because they occur far beneath the ocean surface. At 9°50'N on the East Pacific Rise, ocean-bottom seismometers recently recorded the microearthquake character of a mid-ocean ridge eruption, including precursory activity. A gradual ramp-up in activity rates since seismic monitoring began at this site in October 2003 suggests that eruptions may be forecast in the fast-spreading environment. The pattern culminates in an intense but brief (∼6-hour) inferred diking event on 22 January 2006, followed by rapid tapering to markedly decreased levels of seismicity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2006
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