Written by NOAH Hazard Assessment Team
Researchers from the UP NOAH Hazard Assessment Team (HAT) participated in the Asia Oceania Geosciences Society (AOGS) 2026 Annual Meeting, held at the Fukuoka International Congress Center in Fukuoka, Japan, from August 2 to 7, 2026. The annual meeting brings together geoscientists from across the Asia-Oceania region and beyond to share recent research, exchange ideas, and discuss pressing challenges in the geosciences, including climate change, natural hazards, and planetary science.
Ms. Jolly Joyce S. Sulapas and Ms. Lea Victoria D. Serrano, Senior Science Research Specialists of NOAH HAT, presented their ongoing research on earthquakes and coastal geohazards, respectively.
Ms. Sulapas presented “InSAR-based Kinematic Analysis of the West Valley Fault (WVF), Philippines,” which focuses on applying Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (InSAR) remote sensing to measure ground displacement and analyze the fault’s kinematic behavior. The objective is to enhance understanding of the WVF’s movement patterns and assess its seismic threat to Metro Manila, a densely populated region at risk from fault activity. The study demonstrates that InSAR effectively detects subtle ground motions, enabling spatially continuous monitoring of deformation zones. These findings highlight the WVF’s ongoing activity and reinforce the need for sustained observation and integration of geospatial data into urban resilience planning.
Meanwhile, Ms. Serrano presented “Interacting Storm Surge and Debris-Flow Processes: Implications for Coastal Displacement in Dingalan, Aurora, Philippines,” co-authored by Ada Beatrice Reyes, Julian Marie Bernice Grageda, Audrei Anne Ybañez, John Kenneth Suarez, Fernando Siringan, and Alfredo Mahar Francisco Lagmay. The study examines population displacement associated with storm surge events in the Municipality of Dingalan, Aurora. It highlights how the compounding effects of multiple hazards and extreme events can contribute to displacement and influence long-term settlement retreat, particularly in the context of a changing climate.
Participation in international scientific meetings such as AOGS provides valuable opportunities for UP researchers to share the University’s ongoing research with the broader scientific community, exchange knowledge with fellow researchers, and build collaborations across disciplines and institutions. For the UP NOAH Hazard Assessment Team, these engagements also contribute to advancing research on natural hazards and supporting science-based approaches to disaster risk reduction and climate resilience in the Philippines. The participation of the presenters was made possible through funding support from the Office of International Linkages of the University of the Philippines.