Expedition Cruises

RV BELGICA CRUISE 2023/16 CAMPAIGN – NORSEAT

The second official research cruise of the NORSEAT Project is being conducted from 1st of September 2023 to 12th of September 2023 with RV Belgica II. The scientific team for this second NORSEAT campaign comprised experts from various institutions, including Ghent University, Geological Survey of Belgium, University of Coimbra, University of Heidelberg, University of Koln, Flanders Marine Institute (VLIZ), and Sea Network POGO Ocean.

The aim of this survey was to conduct additional data collection through sediment coring using the VLIZ vibrocorer in three targeted areas: Dury Voe, Basta Voe, and Sullom Voe, which are believed to potentially preserve traces of tsunami deposits. During the campaign, in addition to sediment core sampling, we expanded our data acquisition efforts to include Multibeam Echo Sounder (MBES) coverage and seismic data acquisition using TOPAS.

The Scientific team from NORSEAT Project survey 2023/16

Find out more about cruise 2023/16 with RV Belgica

RV BELGICA CRUISE 2022/31 CAMPAIGN – NORSEAT

The first official research cruise of the NORSEAT Project has been conducted from Wednesday 30 November 2022 to Friday 9 December 2022 aboard the new BELGICA II. The Shipboard scientifiv team was consisting of 12 scientists from Ghent University (RCMG, UGent), Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences, Geological Survey of Belgium (GSB), University of Dundee (UK), UCoimbra (Portugal) and University of Heidelberg (Germany).

The Scientific team from NORSEAT Project survey 2022/31
The new RV Belgica before sailing in Zeebrugge
Location and Trackplot area from the survey NORSEAT 2022/31

During the first RV Belgica research cruise, which took place in December 2022, new geophysical data (multibeam bathymetry and backscatter, sub-bottom profiler) were collected from selected areas around the Shetlands Islands; Sullom Voe, Cat Firth and Dury Voe, Basta Voe.

These geophysical data will form the basis for a follow-up cruise, scheduled in fall 2023, during which sea-floor sediment samples and sediment cores will be collected.

Find out more about the cruise 2022/31 with RV Belgica