AQUARIUS Funding Call – Marine and Freshwater Infrastructure Access: Open 02 September 2025 – 28 October 2025
ROCK-IT
ROCKslide induced fjord dynamics and ImpacTs on marine geology & archaeology
Funded by AQUARIUS Transnational Access Call 1
The ROCK-IT project investigates the cascading impacts of a large rockslide in Dickson Fjord, Greenland, which triggered a tsunami and seiche oscillations, generating a globally detectable seismic signal.
Research Infrastructure Used: RV Odón de Buen, AUV Barabas
“The AQUARIUS ROCK-IT TA project sparks a powerful synergy between the key expertise of our research partners and the capacities of two major EU-Research Infrastructures, the RV Odón de Buen and the AUV Barabas. Together, we are well-positioned to answer key questions that surround the events that shook the Earth for nine days.”
Wieter Boone, Flanders Marine Institute
PARTNERS
MAIN OBJECTIVES
The ROCK-IT project investigates the cascading impacts of a large rockslide in Dickson Fjord, Greenland, which triggered a tsunami and seiche oscillations, generating a globally detectable seismic signal. The multidisciplinary team brings together researchers from Greenland, Denmark, Portugal, the United Kingdom, and Belgium on board the Spanish research vessel Odón de Buen. The operational plan includes oceanographic surveys in Dickson Fjord, Kong Oscar, and Keiser Franz Josef Fjords, high-resolution mapping using multibeam echosounders, sub-bottom profiling, and an AUV (SSS, SBP and camera). The cruise tackles multiple key research priorities and scientific challenges set forward in the BlueMission Atlantic-Arctic and closes data gaps of 10 variables considered as (very) important. The results will enhance our understanding of rockslide-induced tsunamis and seiches in polar regions, contributing to improved assessment of the impact of these natural hazards.
MORE INFORMATION
AQUARIUS TA Project Name:
ROCKslide induced fjord dynamics and ImpacTs on marine geology & archaeology
Project acronym:
Rock-IT
TA Project Unique ID:
29
Partners involved:
- Flanders Marine Institute (VLIZ)
- Ghent University (UGent)
- Aarhus University (AU)
- Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences (RBINS)
- Ulster University (UU)
- University of Coimbra (UC)
- National Museum and Archives of Greenland (NKA)
- Geological Survey of Denmark and Greenland (GEUS)
Start date
Summer 2027
End date
Summer 2027
Mission Lighthouse Region
Atlantic-Arctic
Work/research geographical
area
East Greenland’s Kong Oscar Fjord systems – 72.842129 N 25.05368 W
Names of RI facilities used
RV Odón de Buen
AUV Barabas (in-kind – VLIZ)
Scientific discipline(s)
Earth Sciences & Environment: Other – Earth Sciences
Principal Investigator
(PI) Affiliation
Flanders Marine Institute (VLIZ)