A Long-Term Earthquake Catalog for the Endeavour Segment: Constraints on
the Extensional Cycle and Evidence for Hydrothermal Venting Supported by
Propagating Rifts
Abstract
We use ocean bottom seismometer data from the Endeavour segment of the
Juan de Fuca ridge to construct a long-term earthquake catalog for an
intermediate-rate spreading ridge. We present > 50,000 new
earthquake locations for 2016-2021 from the Ocean Networks Canada
NEPTUNE cabled observatory and relocate earthquakes from two autonomous
networks in 1995 and 2003-2006. The catalog comprises >
85,000 earthquakes located using three-dimensional segment-scale P- and
S-wave velocity models from a prior tomography experiment. Despite the
small footprints of networks near the segment center, locations show
good agreement with geologic features at segment ends. The improved
locations show that the northern Endeavour segment ruptured southwards
from 48.3°N to 48.05°N during two diking events in early 2005, possibly
accompanied by diking on the West Valley propagator. Persistent off-axis
seismicity near the segment center appears to be related to the West
Valley and Cobb propagating rifts which we infer extend
~10 km closer to the Endeavour segment center than is
apparent in bathymetry. We suggest that the proximity of the propagators
to the Endeavour vent fields contributes to the localization, vigor and
longevity of the fields by focusing permeability through ongoing
fracturing and by limiting extrusive magmatism through degassing of the
axial magma lens. Increasing rates of seismicity beneath the vent fields
beginning in late 2018 and a deepening of earthquakes in 2020 indicate
that the central portion of the segment may be entering the later stages
of the eruptive cycle.