Hole in the Bottom of the Ocean Could Signal Future Catastrophe

Hole in the Bottom of the Ocean , Could Signal Future Catastrophe.

Futurism reports that scientists have warned that a hole in the bottom of the ocean may signal an increased risk of earthquake activity in the area.

Researchers at the University of Washington said that the seabed hole located off the coast of Oregon sits atop the Cascadia Subduction Zone fault line.

'Pythias' Oasis,' named after a mythological oracle, has fascinated scientists since it was first discovered in 2015.

The hole in the ocean floor leaks almost-fresh water up into the ocean.

.

In research published in the journal 'Science Advances,' researchers suggest that the relatively fresh water may serve as a tectonic lubricant.

Without that watery lubricant, the plate on which the hole sits could potentially shift in a catastrophic way.

Loss of fluid from the offshore megathrust interface through these strike-slip faults is important, because it lowers the fluid pressure between the sediment particles and hence increases the friction between the oceanic and continental plates, University of Washington statement, via Futurism.

Futurism reports that the UW team believes this is the first known ocean floor leak of its kind, while suggesting that others may exist nearby but have yet to be detected.

According to the team, the water leaking out through the hole is warmer than the surrounding ocean water by about 16 degrees Fahrenheit.

.

The team suggests that "the fluid is coming straight from the Cascadia megathrust, where temperatures are an estimated 300 to 500 degrees Fahrenheit.".

The team suggests that "the fluid is coming straight from the Cascadia megathrust, where temperatures are an estimated 300 to 500 degrees Fahrenheit."