Name
Probing Magmatic Precursors at the Endeavour Segment Using Deep Learning Seismicity and Vp/Vs Variations
Date & Time
Tuesday, May 26, 2026, 2:00 PM - 2:15 PM
Description
The Endeavour segment, near the northern Juan de Fuca Ridge, is tectonically complex and currently highly active, with seismicity levels comparable to those preceding the 1999–2005 diking sequence. Recent analyses suggest renewed rupture is likely within months to years. This interpretation is supported by a large tectonic mainshock–aftershock sequence in March 2024 and persistent earthquake swarms throughout 2024–2025. Variations in seismicity characteristics, including b-values and seismic velocity ratios (Vp/Vs), provide insight into magma transport and may act as precursors to magmatic intrusions or eruptions. Here, we analyze seven years (2018–2025) of continuous seismic data from the Ocean Networks Canada cabled observatory, including a range of 3 to 6 ocean-bottom seismometers. To maximize catalog completeness in this high-noise environment, we applied the OBSTransformer deep-learning phase picker. Preliminary detections were associated using REAL and event relocation using HypoInverse and GrowClust. The resulting high-resolution catalog contains ~15,000 earthquakes organized into 65 spatially coherent clusters. Using this dataset, we examine temporal variations in in-situ Vp/Vs ratios and b-values within individual clusters. Elevated Vp/Vs values are commonly linked to increased fracture porosity, partial melt, or magmatic fluids, whereas b-values reflect stress conditions and help distinguish fluid-influenced seismicity from purely tectonic processes. By jointly analyzing these parameters, we assess temporal changes in magma and fluid movement and differentiate between tectonic strain release and fluid-driven seismicity. This work provides new constraints on subsurface magmatic processes beneath the Endeavour segment during a period of heightened unrest.
Location Name
Marion McCaine - Ondaatje Hall
Full Address
Dalhousie University
Halifax NS
Canada
Session Type
Oral Presentation
Abstract ID
121
Speaker Organization
Dalhousie University
Session Name
S2 (2 of 2)
Co-authors
Miao Zhang - Associate Professor at Dalhousie University
Presenting Author
Alireza Niksejel - PhD Student at Dalhousie University