Flow rate perturbations in a black smoker hydrothermal vent in response to a mid-ocean ridge earthquake swarm

Abstract

Although there is indirect evidence for strong connections between tectonic processes and mid-ocean ridge hydrothermal flow, there are no direct observations of these links, primarily because measuring flow in these systems is difficult. Here we use an optical analysis technique to obtain a 44 day record of flow rate changes in a black smoker vent in the Main Endeavour field of the Juan de Fuca Ridge. We show that variations in the flow rate coincide with an earthquake swarm observed using an ocean bottom seismometer array. These observations indicate that connections between tectonics and flow are indeed strong, that hydraulic connections within this hydrothermal system are long ranging, and that enhanced tidal pumping of fluids may be initiated by earthquake activity. Because the effects of the swarm cross over an intervening vent field, we infer that the upflow zones feeding this field are narrow. Using the time lag between the swarm onset and the flow rate changes we estimate that the bulk permeability of the crust on the Endeavour segment ranges from 3.0 × 10 -13 m 2 to 6.0 × 10 -12 m 2. Copyright 2010 by the American Geophysical Union.