Hole in the Bottom of the Ocean , Could Signal Future Catastrophe.<br />Futurism reports that scientists have warned that <br />a hole in the bottom of the ocean may signal <br />an increased risk of earthquake activity in the area.<br />Researchers at the University of Washington said <br />that the seabed hole located off the coast of Oregon <br />sits atop the Cascadia Subduction Zone fault line.<br />'Pythias' Oasis,' named after a mythological <br />oracle, has fascinated scientists <br />since it was first discovered in 2015.<br />The hole in the ocean floor leaks <br />almost-fresh water up into the ocean. .<br />In research published in the journal 'Science Advances,' <br />researchers suggest that the relatively fresh water <br />may serve as a tectonic lubricant.<br />Without that watery lubricant, <br />the plate on which the hole sits could <br />potentially shift in a catastrophic way.<br />Loss of fluid from the offshore megathrust <br />interface through these strike-slip faults <br />is important, because it lowers the fluid <br />pressure between the sediment particles <br />and hence increases the friction between <br />the oceanic and continental plates, University of Washington statement, via Futurism.<br />Futurism reports that the UW team believes this is the first <br />known ocean floor leak of its kind, while suggesting that <br />others may exist nearby but have yet to be detected.<br />According to the team, the water leaking out <br />through the hole is warmer than the surrounding <br />ocean water by about 16 degrees Fahrenheit. .<br />The team suggests that "the fluid is coming straight from the Cascadia megathrust, where temperatures are an estimated 300 to 500 degrees Fahrenheit.".<br />The team suggests that "the fluid is coming straight from the Cascadia megathrust, where temperatures are an estimated 300 to 500 degrees Fahrenheit."
