PACSAFE: Preliminary Results from Deployment of Ocean Bottom Seismometers Off Canada’s West Coast
The Pacific Coast Seismic Assessment for Faults and Earthquakes (PACSAFE) multi-year ocean bottom seismometer (OBS) program conducted its Leg 1 deployment in October 2023 off the west coast of British Columbia, Canada, and Leg 2 recovery and redeployment in July 2024. This collaborative project between federal and academic institutions across Canada targets an enhanced characterization of seismicity and fault structure around the northern terminus of the Cascadia subduction zone and its transition to the Queen Charlotte transform fault offshore northern Vancouver Island and Haida Gwaii. The acquired data will facilitate precise earthquake locations and structural imaging, provide data for regional tectonic and geodynamic studies, and ultimately contribute to enhanced assessment of seismic and tsunami hazard along British Columbia’s central coastline.
During the Leg 1 cruise in October 2023, 26 new broad-band OBS from the National Facility for Seismological Investigations run by Dalhousie University, were deployed in the Queen Charlotte Triple Junction region. However, during mid-November 2023, two of these OBS self-released from the seafloor and drifted into Hecate Strait, with only one being recovered. A third instrument also self-released at the end of May 2024, and was successfully recovered. During the Leg 2 cruise in July 2024, all of the remaining 23 OBS instruments were successfully recovered. A total of 23 OBS instruments were re-deployed during Leg 2, though two self-released with two weeks. While data were recovered from all 23 instruments, three were not re-deployed due to instrumental issues discovered during turn around.
Here we present a summary of the project, introduce the Leg 1 and 2 cruises, present the current concept for Leg 3 in August 2025, and discuss potential causes for the early-release instruments. Finally, we present preliminary analysis and results from the Leg 1 network, including noise levels, component orientations, and progress towards an updated earthquake catalogue with more precise locations for events included in the National Earthquake Database over the same time period.
Session: ESC-SSA Joint Session:Seismology in the Global Oceans: Advances in Methods and Observations - I
Type: Oral
Room: Holiday Ballroom 4-6+Corridor
Date: 4/15/2025
Presentation Time: 04:45 PM (local time)
Presenting Author: Tiegan Hobbs
Student Presenter: No
Invited Presentation:
Poster Number:
Additional Authors
Tiegan Hobbs Presenting Author Corresponding Author thobbs@eoas.ubc.ca Natural Resources Canada |
Andrew Schaeffer Andrew.schaeffer@nrcan-rncan.gc.ca Natural Resources Canada |
Tianhaozhe Sun Tianhaozhe.sun@nrcan-rncan.gc.ca Natural Resources Canada |
Michael Bostock bostock@eoas.UBC.ca University of British Columbia |
Mladen Nedimovic mladen@Dal.Ca Dalhousie University |
Cooper Stacey Cooper.stacey@nrcan-rncan.gc.ca Natural Resources Canada |
Graeme Cairns Gcairns@nfsi.ca Dalhousie University |
Katie Bosman kbosman@nfsi.ca Dalhousie University |
John Thibodeau jthibo@nfsi.ca Dalhousie University |
Vernon Eville Veville@nfsi.ca Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada |
Alexandre Plourde Alexandre.plourde@nrcan-rncan.gc.ca Natural Resources Canada, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada |
Riddhi Dave Riddhi.dave@nrcan-rncan.gc.ca Natural Resources Canada, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada |
Theron Finley Tfinley@uvic.ca University of Victoria, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada |
Sarah J Oliva sarah.oliva@uchile.cl University of Chile, Santiago, , Chile |
Felix Parkinson Felix.parkinson@nrcan-rncan.gc.ca Natural Resources Canada, Sidney, British Columbia, Canada |
Anna Podhorodeski Anna.podhorodeski@nrcan-rncan.gc.ca University of Victoria, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada |
Alex Hughes Alexhughes84@gmail.com University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada |
Lekima Yakuden Lyakuden@uvic.ca University of Victoria, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada |
Thomas Carson Thomas.carson@nrcan-rncan.gc.ca Natural Resources Canada, Sidney, British Columbia, Canada |
Robert Kung Robert.kung@nrcan-rncan.gc.ca Natural Resources Canada, Sidney, British Columbia, Canada |
Gwyn Lintern Gwyn.lintern@nrcan-rncan.gc.ca Natural Resources Canada, Sidney, British Columbia, Canada |
Kelin Wang Kelin.wang@nrcan-rncan.gc.ca Natural Resources Canada, Sidney, British Columbia, Canada |
Kristen Rohr Kristen.rohr@nrcan-rncan.gc.ca Natural Resources Canada, Sidney, British Columbia, Canada |
Honn Kao Honn.kao@nrcan-rncan.gc.ca Natural Resources Canada, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada |
Edwin Nissen Enissen@uvic.ca University of Victoria, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada |
Simon Peacock speacock@eoas.ubc.ca University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada |
Miao Zhang miao.zhang@dal.ca Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada |
John Cassidy John.cassidy@nrcan-rncan.gc.ca Natural Resources Canada, Sidney, British Columbia, Canada |
Collin Paul Collin.paul@nrcan-rncan.gc.ca Natural Resources Canada, Sidney, British Columbia, Canada |
Camille Brillon Camille.brillon@nrcan-rncan.gc.ca Natural Resources Canada, Sidney, British Columbia, Canada |
PACSAFE: Preliminary Results from Deployment of Ocean Bottom Seismometers Off Canada’s West Coast
Category
ESC-SSA Joint Session:Seismology in the Global Oceans: Advances in Methods and Observations
Description