AOGS Wing Ip Medal Award


Responsive image
2021 AOGS Wing Ip Medal
Gregory F. MOORE

University of Hawaii


For more than 40 years, Professor Moore not only significantly advanced our understandings of plate convergent systems in East and Southeast Asia through his numerous scientific achievements, but has also actively participated and led various international scientific research programs in Asia-Oceania region, and played critical roles in supporting and mentoring young geoscientists in Southeast and East Asia.

In the early years of his career, Professor Moore developed strong interests in geological structures along the Sunda subduction system, which later brought him back to Southeast Asia’s geological community. He joined the University of Hawaii in 1988, where he continued his marine geological research in Asia, participating and serving as the Chief or Co-Chief Scientist in dozens of oceanographic expeditions and Ocean Drilling Program (ODP) cruises. His footprints and research covered many important plate convergent boundaries in Asia, including the Sunda, the Mariana, and the Nankai subduction zones, and the accretionary prism offshore Taiwan.

With his excellent research achievements especially along the Nankai Trough and many other plate convergent boundaries, Professor Moore was invited as Visiting Scientist or Visiting Professor in many Asian institutions, including the University of Tokyo, Earth Observatory of Singapore, and the Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology (JAMSTEC). His great scientific vision has led to the establishment of the multi-nation, multi-year NanTroSEIZE drilling program. The numerous research outcomes from this and previous programs from the Nankai Trough have revolutionized our understanding of structural activity and evolution in accretionary wedges.

With his knowledge, wisdom, his passion for scientific research, and his kindness toward younger generations, Professor Moore has mentored and inspired numerous young scientists in many Asian countries such as Japan, Taiwan, Myanmar, and Singapore, through his active participation in local conferences, workshops, field investigations, and marine expeditions. Not only would he provide critical scientific advisory and consultation for research work of young scientists, but he would also help young students and researchers overcome language barriers to finalize and publish their research results in international journals.

In the past two decades, Professor Moore has actively participated in many geoscience societies in East and Southeast Asia, including the JpGU, the Myanmar Applied Earth Sciences Association, and of course the AOGS. He attended his first AOGS meeting in 2014 in Sapporo, and was one of the key members of the team to invite AOGS to Hawaii in 2018. In 2017 through 2018, Professor Moore served as the Chair of the Local Organizing Committee for the 2018 meeting, and was among the most important people who made the 2018 meeting one of the most successful AOGS meetings. Furthermore, Professor Moore also participated several times in the “Meet the Experts” program at AOGS meetings and provided mentorship to Asian students on-site.

With all of his profound contributions to the geoscience community in Asia-Oceania and his collaboration and leadership in geoscience in the Asia Oceania region, the 2021 AOGS Wing Ip Medal is a particularly well deserved distinction for Professor Greg Moore.

J. Bruce H. Shyu, Distinguished Professor, National Taiwan University