Mar. 13, 2005 The most intense swarms of earthquakes detected in
the last 10 to 12 years on the far edge of the Juan de Fuca
plate could indicate the eruption of magma from the seafloor or
an underwater volcano. Between 50 and 70 earthquakes an hour,
most of them small, were occurring at the end of February at a
spot some 200 miles off the Canadian coast. University of
Hawaii's Jim Cowen, chief scientist, and National Atmospheric
and Oceanic Administration's Ed Baker, co-chief scientist, are
at sea now leading an expedition at the Endeavour Segment, the
site of the quakes. The Endeavour Segment is located in deep
water and the quakes are not of a magnitude that would cause
noticeable effects on land in Canada or the United States.
Reports from the expedition are available online here. As of
March 8, the site said the number of quakes had calmed in recent
days. The scientists are on board the Thomas G. Thompson, the
274-foot research vessel operated by the University of
Washington, and will return to Seattle M