Research
My research interest and experience mainly lie in three main things: 1) InSAR studies of the earthquake cycle, 2) constraining fault activity, and 3) fault modeling. If you are interested in pursuing graduate studies at the University of the Philippines or looking to collaborate on a research project on these topics, do get in touch.
Satellite InSAR analysis and geodesy of the earthquake cycle
Interferometric synthetic aperture radar (InSAR) analysis is becoming a widely used technique to map earthquakes, particularly because satellite radar can 'see' through clouds and some satellite data can measure ground movement even in vegetated areas. This makes this method particularly useful for disaster response. I am interested in maximizing the potential of InSAR to continuously monitor the many active faults in the Philippines and elsewhere.
The map to the left shows the displacement measured from InSAR for the magnitude 6.5 earthquake in Leyte island (Philippines), with the blue areas moving up to 50 cm towards the satellite (westward and uplift), and the red areas moving away from the satellite (eastward and subsidence). This map was produced on 7 July 2017, just a day after the earthquake.
Mapping and constraining fault activity
Faults can be active on different temporal scales-- some can generate earthquakes every few decades while others might have recurring earthquakes in the order of thousands of years. I have made use of a variety of techniques, from anlaysis of high-resolution digital elevation models to paleoseismology to slip budget analysis, to gain an understanding of the activity of faults and what the possible recurrence of earthquakes may be.
The photo to the right shows a sampling pit for a fault in the central Tien Shan in Kyrgyzstan that I am currently studying (that's me on the far right).
Fault modeling
Using geodetic (e.g., InSAR, GPS) data, and in conjuction with observations from the field, I try to create models that represent how faults move in order to capture the complexity of fault processes that are connected to earthquakes. The source parameters of earthquakes allow us to gain an understanding of the geometry of faults (some of which might not be visible on the surface), earthquake source processes and mechanics, and the nature of crustal deformation.
The picture on the left is a figure that is based on my paper on the Philippine Fault in Leyte (open-access), which was also featured in Eos magazine in an Editor's highlight.
For a list of my publications, you may check out my Google Scholar profile.