The Geological Society of Japan has awarded its International Prize to J. Casey Moore, professor emeritus of Earth and planetary sciences at UC Santa Cruz, in recognition of his outstanding contributions to the development of geology in Japan.
Moore contributed the prize money (100,000 yen) back to the Geological Society of Japan to support the organization's earthquake recovery efforts in the aftermath of the Tohoku earthquake and tsunami. He was honored at an award ceremony and gave a special lecture during the society's fall meeting at Ibaraki University in September.
"Through many years of interaction with Japanese scientists, I have received much generosity and thoughtful consideration. For me, this is the real reward that goes with the recognition of the International Prize," Moore wrote in an acceptance letter to Sumio Miyashita, president of the Geological Society of Japan.
Moore has worked with Japanese scientists since 1973, when he investigated the seafloor around Japan as part of the Deep Sea Drilling Project. In subsequent years, he contributed to the development of marine geology in Japan through his participation in the Ocean Drilling Program and the current Integrated Ocean Drilling Program. In particular, he has been involved in ongoing studies of the Nankai Trough, a subduction zone where the Philippine Sea Plate dives beneath Japan. Moore's research focuses on the structural geology of subduction zones and the active margins of continental plates.
