This is a brief outline of the first project we conducted with the osmotically driven flux meter systems. The were deployed within Ocean Botton Seismometers (LeRoy Dorman’s) on the forearc of the Costa Rica Subduction System.
The flux meters inject a tracers into the water flowing through a chamber embedded in the sea bed. the dilution of the tracers and pump rate gives the rate of flow thought the chambers exit. Very low flow rates (0.01 to1500 cm/d) through the seabed are measurable.
The tectonic activity related to slow slip cases pulsing of flow through the seabed in response to poro-elastic loading acroost the propagating tip.
Different types of pulsing flow events are seen at the toe of the wedge and on the incoming plate.
The pulsing flow correlated with seismic tremor (RMS noise) forming from the seismogenic fault
The downward directed flow pulsing on the incoming plate proceed a large normal earthquake.
A numerical poro-elastic model verified a slowly propagating rupture on the subduction thrust could cause the flow events.
