Pythia's Oasis

44°29′00″N 125°4′00″W

Pythia's Oasis is a cold seep on the ocean floor 50 miles (80 km) off the coast of Newport, Oregon, United States (44°29′00″N 125°4′00″W)[1], characterized by a focused stream of highly altered fluid that is approximately 9 °C (16 °F) above normal ocean background temperature. Early results indicate "elevated flow rates" sustained for about 1500 years.[2]

The properties of the seep are unique for the Cascadia region and include extreme enrichment of boron and lithium and depletion of chloride, potassium, and magnesium.

The team discovered that the fluid was originating 2.5 miles (4.0 km) beneath the seafloor from the Cascadian megathrust, effectively regulating stress on the offshore fault.[2]

History

The site was discovered in 2015 by Brendan Philip, a University of Washington graduate who was tracking methane bubbles on the edge of the continental shelf, in which he used the remotely operated underwater vehicle ROPOS to collect samples for testing. The team described it as a "spring of low-salinity, high-temperature, mineral-rich water." The area is thriving with life, including rockfish, eelpout, hagfish, sea anemones, sea cucumbers, crabs, snails, soft corals, and clams.[3]

It gained increased attention in 2023 following speculation that the site could contribute to a magnitude-9.0 earthquake.[4][5]

References
  1. "Cruise Planning Synopsis: AT42-17: Kelley "Pythia's Oasis"". Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution. Retrieved July 3, 2023.
  2. Philip, Brendan T.; Evan A., Solomon; Kelley, Deborah S.; Tréhu, Anne M.; Whorley, Theresa L.; Roland, Emily; Tominaga, Masako; Collier, Robert W. (2023) [January 25, 2023]. "Fluid sources and overpressures within the central Cascadia Subduction Zone revealed by a warm, high-flux seafloor seep". Science Advances. 9 (4): eadd6688. doi:10.1126/sciadv.add6688. PMC 9876559. PMID 36696502.
  3. "Pythias Oasis: An Underwater Spring Unlike Any Other". OOI Regional Cable Array. University of Washington. October 1, 2019. Retrieved April 24, 2023.
  4. Keith Cowing (April 11, 2023). "Pythia's Oasis Has Warm liquid Spewing From The Seafloor Offering Clues To Earthquake Hazards". Astrobiology. Retrieved April 24, 2023.
  5. Gosia Wozniacka (April 23, 2023). "Does the leak off Oregon's coast mean The Big One is imminent?". oregonlive.com. The Oregonian/OregonLive. Retrieved April 24, 2023.
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