Juan de Fuca Ridge

The Juan de Fuca Ridge at northwest on world map

The Juan de Fuca Ridge is a tectonic spreading center located off the coasts of the state of Washington in the United States and the province of British Columbia in Canada. It runs northward from a transform boundary, the Blanco Fracture Zone, to a triple junction with the Nootka Fault and the Sovanco Fracture Zone. To its east is the Juan de Fuca Plate, which together with the Gorda Plate to its south and the Explorer Plate to its north, is what remains of the once-vast Farallon Plate which has been largely subducted under the North American Plate. To its west is the Pacific Plate. The Juan de Fuca Ridge is a remnant of the former Pacific–Farallon Ridge.

The first cataclysmic hydrothermal vent or megaplume was found on the ridge in 1986 near 44°49′N 130°14′W / 44.817°N 130.233°W.[1][2]

See also

References

  1. Baker, Edward T. et al. (1987). "Cataclysmic hydrothermal venting on the Juan de Fuca Ridge". Nature 329: 149–151. Bibcode:1987Natur.329..149B. doi:10.1038/329149a0.
  2. Fischman, Josh (March 1, 1999). "In Search of Megaplumes". Discover Magazine. Retrieved 18 February 2012.

External links


Coordinates: 46°N 130°W / 46°N 130°W