Research
I was trained as a sedimentologist and have been working on paleoseismic studies since 1999, the destructive Chi-Chi earthquake. In Taipei basin, we identified Holocene activity of the Shanchiao Fault by correlating strata retrieved from drill holes and proposed potential scenarios of seismic hazards to the metropolitan Taipei area. Later, I had chance to work on the Tibetan Plateau and look into detrital records that unveil intricate surface processes. Therein I initiated projects regarding river sediments along the Yarlung-Tsangpo, southern Tibet, to discuss 1) glacially dammed lakes upstream of the Yarlung-Tsangpo Gorge; 2) modern exhumation patterns of the Lhasa Terrane across the Nyainqentanghla Shear zone. Recently, I got involved in investigation of 2018 Hualien Earthquake and risk assessments of extreme wave events along the coast of east Taiwan, where typhoon and tsunami are both potential candidates of shoreline inundation. Relevant projects are listed below:
Borehole correlations of fluvial to estuary sediments were conducted between pairs of drill holes in Taipei Basin, Taiwan. The boreholes were drilled across the major normal fault, Sanchiao Fault, which situates along the western boundary of the Taipei metropolitan area. With occurrence of growth strata, we have identified Holocene activities of the Sanchiao Fault with good estimates of co-seismic offsets.
Stratigraphy of lacustrine sediments and terrace fills documents evolution of glacial-related delta found in tributary of Yarlung-Tsangpo, the great river of Tibet. Lacustrine sections represent a high-water-level stage when the Yarlung-Tsangpo was impeded by advanced mountain glacier during late Pleistocene.
On February 6, 2018, a ML 6.2 earthquake struck the east coast of Taiwan and caused more than 200 casualties in Hualien area. Coseismic ruptures were mapped in detail to reveal distribution of surface damage, behaviors of deformational structures, ande extension of damaged areas. We present massive data associated with 2018 Hualien earthquake from on-site measurements and image interpretations of drone photographing. Our results show that amount of offsets decreased toward south while extension of damage zone increased. Change of fault strike and development of step-overs in the link damage zone clearly reflect complexity of deep geology in Hualien area.
Severe damage resulted from typhoon Soudelor (蘇迪勒), Aug 2015, has brought up our attention toward impact of storm surges to the east coast of Taiwan. My current investigation focus on the inundation limit, beach profile, and clast size distribution of storm-related deposits. In this project I collaborate with Prof. Jiun-Yee Yen, NDHU. We are in hopes of establishing a comprehensive index system in a near future to describe and estimate impact of typhoon surges and applying that to the justification of tsunami deposits.
Multiple thermochronometers were applied to detrital samples from tributaries of Yarlung-Tsangpo. Comparisons of age populations between different catchments and up-/down-stream samples reveal a focused denudation pattern within the Lhasa River catchment, particularly along the Yadong-Gulu (亞東-古露) Rifting belt.
Syn-orogenic detritus from mountain belts holds information on evolving orogeny. In order to correctly recognize the propagation of environmental signals during the change of landscape, I currently work with Prof. Yuan-His Lee, CCU, to apply zircon fission track (ZFT) thermochronometry on Plio-Pleistocene pro-foreland deposits and present-day river sediments from western Taiwan to track associated pathway through source-to-sink processes of Taiwan Orogeny. Thermal evolution of collisional orogeny revealed by the detrital samples unveils not only burial and exhumation history of the sediments but also routing of sediment transport.