As part of the research project titled “Marine and Onshore Geophysical Investigations of the Manila Subduction Zone (MOGI)”, a Philippines-Taiwan Earth Science collaboration, researchers and graduate students from the Rushurgent Working Group Laboratory joined their Taiwanese counterparts aboard the R/V Legend last 3-24 March 2023. Gravity, seismic reflection, and ocean-bottom seismometer datasets were collected along the Manila Trench to investigate the active geologic structures in offshore western Luzon. The high-quality geophysical datasets will be instrumental in our understanding of marine hazards and risks posed by active geologic structures (potential generators of mega-earthquakes and tsunamis) in the West Philippine Sea.
The activity is part of the broader scientific program funded by the Department of Science and Technology (Philippines) and the National Science and Technology Council (Taiwan). The joint marine scientific research (MSR) expedition aims to map and assess geohazards in the Manila subduction zone. This joint MSR is conducted within the framework of the Volcanoes, Oceans, Typhoons, and Earthquakes (VOTE) Program activities that foster a culture of research and the generation of scientific knowledge on geophysical processes relevant to the Philippines and Taiwan. The RWG participating members are John Esteban Cari (University Research Associate), Bearlyn Eleazar (MOGI Research Assistant), Faye de Leon and Joshua Herras (NIGS graduate students and Marine Geoscience Survey Division-MGB personnel), and Jay-R Guzman (PHIVOLCS).
Filipino and Taiwanese researchers aboard the R/V Legend