Using Numerical Models of Poroelastic Fluid Flow to Constrain the Permeability Structure of Young Oceanic Crust

新的海底是在大洋中脊的全球网络上形成的，在那里，海水在新形成的地壳中循环，导致热液蚀变。世界上大多数地方？S铜矿就是以这种方式形成的；事实上，从塞浦路斯岛的热液矿床中开采的铜推动了西方文明的进步。因此，了解大洋中脊的热液循环具有重要的科学意义。流体流动主要由渗透率控制，这是一个很难测量的特性。然而，据观察，由于潮汐会影响海底的流体压力，因此会引发小规模地震。可以合理地认为，潮汐与这些地震的发生之间的关系取决于渗透率。该项目是从东太平洋隆起的潮汐和地震数据推断新海底渗透率的一次创新尝试。资助这项工作将提高我们对地球工作原理的理解，并支持一位有前途的年轻研究人员。

New seafloor is created at a global network of mid-ocean ridges, where seawater circulating through the newly-formed crust causes hydrothermal alteration. Most of the world?s copper deposits formed in this way; indeed copper mined from hydrothermal deposits on the island of Cyprus fueled the advancement of western civilization. Hence, understanding hydrothermal circulation at mid-ocean ridges has fundamental scientific importance. Fluid flow is controlled principally by permeability, a property that is difficult to measure. However, it has been observed that, because they affect fluid pressures in the sea floor, tides trigger small earthquakes. It can be reasonably argued that the relationship between tides and the occurrence of these earthquakes depends on the permeability. This project is an innovative attempt to infer the permeability of new seafloor from tides and earthquake data from the East Pacific Rise. Funding this effort will improve our understanding of the working of the Earth, and support a promising young investigator.