Geophysical studies in western Canada and marine gas hydrate

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The proposed research is in two subjects.  The first is the processes responsible for earthquakes and mountain building in western Canada and elsewhere; the second is the occurrence and process of formation of natural marine gas hydrate, especially off western Canada.  The deformation responsible for earthquake in western Canada will be mapped through repeated campaign and continuous very high precision GPS measurements.  The study will include determining the forces that drive the deformation and the variations in strength in the earth that respond to the deforming processes.  Marine gas hydrate is a frozen form of natural gas that occurs beneath the continental slope in some marine areas such as off Vancouver Island and in the arctic.  It may provide a new source of clean energy, may play a role in climate change, and may be a hazard in conventional oil and gas exploration and development in deep water and in the arctic.    The study will include marine surveys, and analyses of data from the recently completed IOPD drilling of hydrate off Vancouver Island.