If you follow the ridge line to it's near end points there has been large quakes since april in Jan Mayan, at it's norther extent on the mid atlantic ridge, course up through the red sea. Now the eruption of Nabro becomes even more interesting and of course on the eastern extent of the Pacific rise ending at our most latest quake and of course the action at the very end of the spread at Salton Sea.
Now Errant, take the thought of your gravity maps....and well things begin to get clearer.
Remember as a kid when we got a brand new coated rubber baseball. How clean and fresh the covering was until you either squeezed it or hit it with a wiffle ball bat. The cracks would appear and transverse it's surface area. The more you played with it the more diffuse the cracks would become on the surface coat and eventually lead to actually cracking of the rubber.
I am thinking that theoretically the process of up-heaving and subduction at times can be quicker than Millenniums....more to come!
The Cocos plate along with Juan de Fuca are last remaining festiges of the Farallon. looking at the ridge map one can easily draw a conclusion that if I am right and that the remaining farralon under central and eastern United States is being consumed much more rapidly than previously thought....then well that action may indeed be caused by this new plate forming. It would also explain handsomely the increased intensity and frequency all along the area thought to riding that subducted farallon.
So...given this I am even more convinced that the USA east of the rockies is still in a prime stress zone. As well as the Salton sea area.
I'm pretty sure I am! It's going to take time and a few cups of coffee to grasp enough to be able respond coherently... lol
I am thinking that theoretically the process of up-heaving and subduction at times can be quicker than Millenniums....
I completely agree with your idea of subduction being quicker at times, and I think we're seeing pumping instead of convection. Instead of the plates being "dragged", I suggest plates are being pushed apart by this pumping action; how fast depends upon how powerful the pump and/or the characteristics of the material being pumped.
Those subduction tails should also create interesting conditions for the locale where they exist. I think this action action is a global phenomenon.
But I like this idea of combining our theories to find a link. ;)
thanks. so much to ponder. looking at the abc quake cam and for the last twelve hours or so (it looks like they tightened up the lines again), but, there is a lot of gurgling going on.