Members of the Geomorphology and Active Tectonics Research (GEAR) Lab and Earth Observatory Singapore-Nanyang Technological University (EOS-NTU) conducted a three-week long geologic fieldwork in the Ilocos Region from August 11 to September 03. This is in line with the collaborative research project titled "Constraining short- and long-term tectonic deformation above the Manila Trench, Western Luzon, Philippines". Dr. Noelynna Ramos (UP NIGS), Andrea Pamintuan (UP NIGS), Dr. Yiran Wang (EOS-NTU), Dr. Lin Thu Aung (EOS-NTU), Wan Lin Neo (EOS-NTU), and Zihan Aw (EOS-NTU) formed the research team
The primary objective of the fieldwork is to collect sand and fossil coral samples from the surfaces of coastal plains in Ilocos Norte and Ilocos Sur. Grid sampling was employed to collect, identify, and quantify gravel types. Soil samples and corals were collected for cosmogenic nuclide dating and uranium-thorium dating, respectively. A few tubes of soil were also collected from suitable areas for optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) analysis. The samples will be analyzed at respective laboratories in China and Singapore.
(left) Grid sampling of gravels along a tributary. (middle) Soil sampling in 0.6-1.0 meter intervals from top to bottom of exposure. (right) Selection of coral samples for uranium-thorium dating.