I started my PhD one year ago at the University of Bergen in the Basin and Reservoir Studies Group (BRS). I am studying the tectono-sedimentary evolution of the Corinth Rift (Greece) by comparing rift margin and rift axis domains. The study of the rift axis is based on cores collected during the IODP (International Ocean Discovery Program) Expedition 381 in 2017. I am conducting the first detailed study on the interval of core associated with marine oxygen isotope stages 5 to 8 to investigate palaeoenvironmental change in the basin axis during alternating glacial and interglacial climates when the active rift basin alternated between marine and lacustrine conditions.
This short course running in the summer at Hokkaido University is a combination of presentations, practical exercises with cores and drilling data sets (2 weeks) and fieldwork (1 week) to understand the drill core observations from both oceanic and continental settings. It is leaded by experienced international scientists from Europe, Japan, New Zealand and France.
During the course, we studied cores from New Zealand’s Alpine Fault and the Japan Trench (JFAST IODP Expedition 343). It was a unique opportunity to learn how to connect drilling data with structural and palaeoenvironmental core observations.
This course was highly relevant for my PhD research and provided theoretical background and practical experience about the latest methods to analyse and correlate drilling and core data. It provided a ‘kick-start’ to the analysis of IODP 381 drill and core data that I am starting now.
During fieldwork, we had the chance to visit two UNESCO Geoparks located in Hokkaido: Toya-Usu and Mt. Apoi. We looked into the impact of recent earthquakes on the landscape and infrastructures as you can see on the pictures.
I would like to thank the DEEP Research School for awarding me this travel grant. I have never been to Japan before and this course was an amazing opportunity to discover its geology. Thanks a lot!
- Natacha Fabregas