A multidisciplinary research project combining geophysical, geological and geotechnical methods to study the influence of clay tectonics in the North Sea on offshore wind foundation design and installation. The project intends to unlock industry-driven valorisation opportunities in close collaboration with the industrial advisory board.
The presence of Clay Tectonic Features (CTFs) in Paleogene clay layers in the Southern Bight of the North Sea was first reported in the 1980s (e.g. Henriet et al. 1983 and Henriet et al. 1988). These features include polygonal fault networks and other deformations such as diapiric structures. One of these clay layers is the Kortrijk Formation, which is the main substrate for the installation of the planned offshore wind farms (OWFs) in the Princess Elisabeth Zone in the Belgian part of the North Sea. Even though the presence of CTFs in this formation is well documented, the effect of these features on the stability and geotechnical properties of the clay, especially under significant external forcing (e.g. piling of a monopile), is unknown and requires in-depth study. Moreover, evidence exists that faults were reactivated after they were formed, underlining that these features may negatively affect the stability of the clay. Therefore, the Clay Tectonics project will apply an integrated geophysical / geological / geotechnical approach to investigate the occurrence and formation of clay tectonic deformation features in stiff clay layers, as well as their influence on offshore wind foundation design and installation.
","AbstractOtherLang":"Een multidisciplinair onderzoeksproject dat geofysische, geologische en geotechnische methodes combineert om de invloed van kleitektoniek in de Noordzee op het design en de installatie van offshore windparken te onderzoeken. Het project wil bedrijfsgedreven valorisatie-opportuniteiten creëren in nauwe samenwerking met de gebruikersgroep.
De aanwezigheid van kleitektonische structuren (CTFs) in Paleogene kleilagen in de Zuidelijke Bocht van de Noordzee werd voor het eerst gerapporteerd in de jaren 1980 (b.v. Henriet et al. 1983 en Henriet et al. 1988). Deze structuren omvatten polygonale breuknetwerken (met verplaatsingen langsheen de breuken van ettelijke meters) en andere deformaties zoals diapirische structuren. Eén van deze kleilagen is de zogenaamde Kortrijk Formatie die het belangrijkste substraat vormt voor de installatie van de geplande offshore windmolenparken in de Prinses Elisabeth Zone in het Belgische deel van de Noordzee. Hoewel de aanwezigheid van CTFs in deze formatie reeds gerapporteerd werd, is het effect van deze structuren op de stabiliteit en de geotechnische eigenschappen van de klei, vooral onder invloed van grote externe krachten (bv. het heien van een monopile), onbekend en vereist dit verder onderzoek. Bovendien zijn er aanwijzingen dat de aanwezige breuken na hun ontstaan opnieuw werden geactiveerd. Dit benadrukt dat deze structuren wel degelijk afbreuk kunnen doen aan de stabiliteit van de klei. Daarom zal in het Clay Tectonics-project een geïntegreerde geofysische / geologische / geotechnische benadering worden toegepast om het optreden en de vorming van kleitektonische vervormingsstructuren in stijve kleilagen, alsook de invloed ervan op het ontwerp en de installatie van turbine-funderingen, te onderzoeken.
","DateLastModified":{"date":"2025-07-28 15:54:43.129602","timezone_type":1,"timezone":"+02:00"},"ParentProID":null,"BeginYear":2023,"EndYear":2025,"BMonth":1,"EMonth":6,"BeginMonth":"January","EndMonth":"June","OrigTitleLangCode":null,"OrigTitleLangID":null,"OrigTitleLangNL":null,"OrigTitleLang":null,"OtherAbstractLangCode":"nl","OtherAbstractLangID":41,"OtherAbstractLang":"Dutch","OtherAbstractLangNL":"Nederlands","Progress":"Completed","ProgressNL":"Afgelopen","PublicFlag":1,"CheckedFlag":0,"ND":"2024-04-22","UD":"2025-07-28","DMPFlag":1,"Budget":524079,"BudgetCurrency":null},"parent":null,"persons":null,"projects":null,"events":null,"datasets":[{"DasID":8682,"Acronym":null,"Citation":"Mestdagh, T.; Saritas, H.; Flanders Marine Institute (VLIZ): Belgium; (2024): Clay Tectonics - Belgica Cruise 2023-23 AUV-SBP data. Marine Data Archive.","StandardTitle":"Clay Tectonics - Belgica Cruise 2023-23 AUV-SBP data","DasType":"Data"},{"DasID":8683,"Acronym":null,"Citation":"Mestdagh, T.; Saritas, H.; Flanders Marine Institute (VLIZ): Belgium; (2024): Clay Tectonics - Belgica Cruise 2023-23 AUV-SSS data. Marine Data Archive.","StandardTitle":"Clay Tectonics - Belgica Cruise 2023-23 AUV-SSS data","DasType":"Data"},{"DasID":8684,"Acronym":null,"Citation":"Mestdagh, T.; Saritas, H.; Flanders Marine Institute (VLIZ): Belgium; (2024): Clay Tectonics - Belgica Cruise 2023-23 TOPAS data. Marine Data Archive.","StandardTitle":"Clay Tectonics - Belgica Cruise 2023-23 TOPAS data","DasType":"Data"},{"DasID":8674,"Acronym":null,"Citation":"Mestdagh, T.; Saritas, H.; Flanders Marine Institute (VLIZ): Belgium; (2024): Clay Tectonics - Multi Channel Sparker Data - Block A. Marine Data Archive.","StandardTitle":"Clay Tectonics - Multi Channel Sparker Data - Block A","DasType":"Data"},{"DasID":8676,"Acronym":null,"Citation":"Mestdagh, T.; Saritas, H.; Flanders Marine Institute (VLIZ): Belgium; (2024): Clay Tectonics - Multi Channel Sparker Data - Block B. Marine Data Archive.","StandardTitle":"Clay Tectonics - Multi Channel Sparker Data - Block B","DasType":"Data"},{"DasID":8677,"Acronym":null,"Citation":"Mestdagh, T.; Saritas, H.; Flanders Marine Institute (VLIZ): Belgium; (2024): Clay Tectonics - Multi Channel Sparker Data - Block C. Marine Data Archive.","StandardTitle":"Clay Tectonics - Multi Channel Sparker Data - Block C","DasType":"Data"},{"DasID":8663,"Acronym":null,"Citation":"Mestdagh, T.; Saritas, H.; Flanders Marine Institute (VLIZ): Belgium; (2024): Clay Tectonics - Parametric Sub-bottom Profiling Data - Block A&B. Marine Data Archive.","StandardTitle":"Clay Tectonics - Parametric Sub-bottom Profiling Data - Block A&B","DasType":"Data"},{"DasID":8662,"Acronym":null,"Citation":"Mestdagh, T.; Saritas, H.; Flanders Marine Institute (VLIZ): Belgium; (2024): Clay Tectonics - Parametric Sub-bottom Profiling Data - Block C. Marine Data Archive.","StandardTitle":"Clay Tectonics - Parametric Sub-bottom Profiling Data - Block C","DasType":"Data"},{"DasID":8661,"Acronym":null,"Citation":"Mestdagh, T.; Saritas, H.; Flanders Marine Institute (VLIZ): Belgium; (2024): Clay Tectonics - Parametric Sub-bottom Profiling Data - Block D. Marine Data Archive.","StandardTitle":"Clay Tectonics - Parametric Sub-bottom Profiling Data - Block D","DasType":"Data"},{"DasID":8668,"Acronym":null,"Citation":"Mestdagh, T.; Saritas, H.; Flanders Marine Institute (VLIZ): Belgium; (2024): Clay Tectonics - Single Channel Sparker Data - Block A. Marine Data Archive.","StandardTitle":"Clay Tectonics - Single Channel Sparker Data - Block A","DasType":"Data"},{"DasID":8669,"Acronym":null,"Citation":"Mestdagh, T.; Saritas, H.; Flanders Marine Institute (VLIZ): Belgium; (2024): Clay Tectonics - Single Channel Sparker Data - Block B. Marine Data Archive.","StandardTitle":"Clay Tectonics - Single Channel Sparker Data - Block B","DasType":"Data"},{"DasID":8670,"Acronym":null,"Citation":"Mestdagh, T.; Saritas, H.; Flanders Marine Institute (VLIZ): Belgium; (2024): Clay Tectonics - Single Channel Sparker Data - Block C. Marine Data Archive.","StandardTitle":"Clay Tectonics - Single Channel Sparker Data - Block C","DasType":"Data"},{"DasID":8672,"Acronym":null,"Citation":"Mestdagh, T.; Saritas, H.; Flanders Marine Institute (VLIZ): Belgium; (2024): Clay Tectonics - Single Channel Sparker Data - Block D. Marine Data Archive.","StandardTitle":"Clay Tectonics - Single Channel Sparker Data - Block D","DasType":"Data"},{"DasID":9048,"Acronym":null,"Citation":"Mestdagh, T.; Saritas, H.; Flanders Marine Institute (VLIZ): Belgium; (2026): Clay Tectonics - USV_PES - Block C. Marine Data Archive.","StandardTitle":"Clay Tectonics - USV_PES - Block C","DasType":"Data"},{"DasID":9049,"Acronym":null,"Citation":"Mestdagh, T.; Saritas, H.; Flanders Marine Institute (VLIZ): Belgium; (2026): Clay Tectonics - USV_PES - Block D. Marine Data Archive.","StandardTitle":"Clay Tectonics - USV_PES - Block D","DasType":"Data"},{"DasID":9047,"Acronym":null,"Citation":"Mestdagh, T.; Saritas, H.; Flanders Marine Institute (VLIZ): Belgium; (2026): Clay Tectonics - USV_PES - Block E. Marine Data Archive.","StandardTitle":"Clay Tectonics - USV_PES - Block E","DasType":"Data"}],"institutes":[{"instituterec":{"Acronym":"VLIZ","ProPartID":19157,"PublicFlag":1,"OrigNameLangCode":"en","OrigNameLangID":15,"FullOrigName":"Flanders Marine Institute","Line1":"VLIZ – InnovOcean Campus","Line2":"Jacobsenstraat 1","Line3":"8400 Oostende","Line4":null,"InsID":36,"FullStandardName":"Vlaams Instituut voor de Zee","Role":"Co-ordinator","RoleID":7,"EncAddress":"VLIZ – InnovOcean Campus, Jacobsenstraat 1, 8400 Oostende, Belgium"},"parent":null,"institutes":null,"references":null,"conferences":null,"datasets":null,"persons":[{"Surname":"Pirlet","Firstname":"Hans","Initials":"H.","LeaderFlag":0,"PersID":16470,"Role":"Co-ordinator","RoleID":7,"PastInstitute":0,"BeginDay":1,"BeginMonth":10,"BeginYear":2010,"EndDay":null,"EndMonth":null,"EndYear":null},{"Surname":"Mestdagh","Firstname":"Thomas","Initials":"T.","LeaderFlag":0,"PersID":32794,"Role":null,"RoleID":null,"PastInstitute":0,"BeginDay":1,"BeginMonth":2,"BeginYear":2020,"EndDay":null,"EndMonth":null,"EndYear":null},{"Surname":"Missiaen","Firstname":"Tine","Initials":"T.","LeaderFlag":0,"PersID":453,"Role":null,"RoleID":null,"PastInstitute":0,"BeginDay":1,"BeginMonth":9,"BeginYear":2017,"EndDay":null,"EndMonth":null,"EndYear":null},{"Surname":"Plets","Firstname":"Ruth","Initials":"R.","LeaderFlag":0,"PersID":38213,"Role":null,"RoleID":null,"PastInstitute":0,"BeginDay":15,"BeginMonth":11,"BeginYear":2019,"EndDay":null,"EndMonth":null,"EndYear":null},{"Surname":"Boone","Firstname":"Wieter","Initials":"W.","LeaderFlag":0,"PersID":36009,"Role":null,"RoleID":null,"PastInstitute":0,"BeginDay":1,"BeginMonth":3,"BeginYear":2019,"EndDay":null,"EndMonth":null,"EndYear":null},{"Surname":"Versteeg","Firstname":"Wim","Initials":"W.","LeaderFlag":0,"PersID":2531,"Role":null,"RoleID":null,"PastInstitute":0,"BeginDay":1,"BeginMonth":3,"BeginYear":2012,"EndDay":null,"EndMonth":null,"EndYear":null},{"Surname":"Rondelez","Firstname":"Jelle","Initials":"J.","LeaderFlag":0,"PersID":35150,"Role":null,"RoleID":null,"PastInstitute":0,"BeginDay":1,"BeginMonth":9,"BeginYear":2017,"EndDay":null,"EndMonth":null,"EndYear":null},{"Surname":"Vermaere","Firstname":"Stijn","Initials":"S.","LeaderFlag":0,"PersID":41994,"Role":null,"RoleID":null,"PastInstitute":0,"BeginDay":9,"BeginMonth":1,"BeginYear":2023,"EndDay":null,"EndMonth":null,"EndYear":null},{"Surname":"Saritas","Firstname":"Hakan","Initials":"H.","LeaderFlag":0,"PersID":44175,"Role":null,"RoleID":null,"PastInstitute":0,"BeginDay":1,"BeginMonth":5,"BeginYear":2023,"EndDay":null,"EndMonth":null,"EndYear":null},{"Surname":"Regel","Firstname":"Franziska","Initials":"F.","LeaderFlag":0,"PersID":45504,"Role":null,"RoleID":null,"PastInstitute":0,"BeginDay":15,"BeginMonth":8,"BeginYear":2024,"EndDay":15,"EndMonth":8,"EndYear":2026}],"pastpers":null,"subpers":null,"projects":null,"urls":null,"pictures":null,"published":null,"affrefs":null,"collections":null,"thesterms":null,"taxterms":null,"geoterms":null,"thestermsFRIS":null,"nXtins":null,"previns":null,"spcols":null,"resmessage":"no id specified","complete":0,"participantrec":null,"peerrevs":null,"urlmaps":null},{"instituterec":{"Acronym":"VUB","ProPartID":19158,"PublicFlag":1,"OrigNameLangCode":"nl","OrigNameLangID":41,"FullOrigName":null,"Line1":"Pleinlaan 2","Line2":"1050 Brussel (Elsene)","Line3":null,"Line4":null,"InsID":2956,"FullStandardName":"Vrije Universiteit Brussel","Role":"Partner","RoleID":17,"EncAddress":"Pleinlaan 2, 1050 Brussel (Elsene), Belgium"},"parent":null,"institutes":null,"references":null,"conferences":null,"datasets":null,"persons":[],"pastpers":null,"subpers":null,"projects":null,"urls":null,"pictures":null,"published":null,"affrefs":null,"collections":null,"thesterms":null,"taxterms":null,"geoterms":null,"thestermsFRIS":null,"nXtins":null,"previns":null,"spcols":null,"resmessage":"no id specified","complete":0,"participantrec":null,"peerrevs":null,"urlmaps":null},{"instituterec":{"Acronym":"RCMG","ProPartID":19159,"PublicFlag":1,"OrigNameLangCode":"en","OrigNameLangID":15,"FullOrigName":"Ghent University; Faculty of Sciences; Department Geology and Soil Science; Renard Centre of Marine Geology","Line1":"Krijgslaan 281 (S8)","Line2":"9000 Gent","Line3":null,"Line4":null,"InsID":74,"FullStandardName":"Universiteit Gent; Faculteit Wetenschappen; Vakgroep Geologie; Renard Centre of Marine Geology","Role":"Partner","RoleID":17,"EncAddress":"Krijgslaan 281 (S8), 9000 Gent, Belgium"},"parent":null,"institutes":null,"references":null,"conferences":null,"datasets":null,"persons":[],"pastpers":null,"subpers":null,"projects":null,"urls":null,"pictures":null,"published":null,"affrefs":null,"collections":null,"thesterms":null,"taxterms":null,"geoterms":null,"thestermsFRIS":null,"nXtins":null,"previns":null,"spcols":null,"resmessage":"no id specified","complete":0,"participantrec":null,"peerrevs":null,"urlmaps":null}],"refs":[{"BRefID":396212,"AnaPub":2024,"MonPub":null,"RefStringPartII":", in: Geologica Belgica Luxemburga International Meeting 2024: Celebrating the 150th Anniversary of the “Société Géologique de Belgique”, 11-12-13 September 2024. Abstract book. pp. 327-328","StandardTitle":"3D imaging of clay tectonic deformations in the Kortrijk Formation through (ultra-)high-resolution acoustic and seismic reflection profiling in the Princess Elisabeth Zone, offshore Belgium","OrigTitle":null,"AuthorString":"Saritas, H. et al.","Relation":null,"DutchTerm":null},{"BRefID":383264,"AnaPub":2024,"MonPub":null,"RefStringPartII":", in: Mees, J. et al. Book of abstracts – VLIZ Marine Science Day, 6 March 2024, Oostende. VLIZ Special Publication, 91: pp. 48","StandardTitle":"Clay tectonics and deformations of the Kortrijk Formation in the Princess Elisabeth Zone, Belgian Continental Shelf","OrigTitle":null,"AuthorString":"Andikagumi, H. et al.","Relation":null,"DutchTerm":null},{"BRefID":409351,"AnaPub":null,"MonPub":2025,"RefStringPartII":". Vlaams Instituut voor de Zee (VLIZ): Oostende. 16 pp.","StandardTitle":"Clay Tectonics Project: D1.1 Report on the selection of study areas based on available geophysical datasets and literature","OrigTitle":null,"AuthorString":"Mestdagh, T. et al.","Relation":"Valorises","DutchTerm":"Valoriseert"},{"BRefID":409353,"AnaPub":null,"MonPub":2025,"RefStringPartII":". Vlaams Instituut voor de Zee (VLIZ): Oostende. 121 pp.","StandardTitle":"Clay Tectonics Project: D1.2 Report on the acquisition and processing of geophysical data for the detection and characterisation of clay tectonic features in the Princess Elisabeth Zone (Belgian Continental Shelf)","OrigTitle":null,"AuthorString":"Mestdagh, T. et al.","Relation":"Valorises","DutchTerm":"Valoriseert"},{"BRefID":409356,"AnaPub":null,"MonPub":2025,"RefStringPartII":". Universiteit Gent: Gent. 57 pp.","StandardTitle":"Clay Tectonics Project: D2.1 Fault geometry and distributions in the Princess Elisabeth Zone, Belgian Continental Shelf","OrigTitle":null,"AuthorString":"Andikagumi, H.; De Batist, M.","Relation":"Valorises","DutchTerm":"Valoriseert"},{"BRefID":409349,"AnaPub":null,"MonPub":2025,"RefStringPartII":". Vlaams Instituut voor de Zee (VLIZ): Oostende. 5 pp.","StandardTitle":"Clay Tectonics Project: D5.1 Data Management Plan","OrigTitle":null,"AuthorString":"Rondelez, J.; Pirlet, H.","Relation":"Valorises","DutchTerm":"Valoriseert"},{"BRefID":409347,"AnaPub":null,"MonPub":2025,"RefStringPartII":". Vlaams Instituut voor de Zee (VLIZ): Oostende. 10 pp.","StandardTitle":"Clay Tectonics Project: D5.2 Report on the geophysical data system","OrigTitle":null,"AuthorString":"Rondelez, J. et al.","Relation":"Valorises","DutchTerm":"Valoriseert"},{"BRefID":392126,"AnaPub":2024,"MonPub":null,"RefStringPartII":", in: Regnéll, C. et al. 36th Nordic geological winter meeting, Göteborg, January 10–12 2024, Abstract volume. Geologiska Föreningen Specialpublikation , 5: pp. 284","StandardTitle":"Clay Tectonics: Investigating the influence of clay tectonic deformations on offshore windfarm development on the Belgian Continental Shelf","OrigTitle":null,"AuthorString":"Mestdagh, T. et al.","Relation":null,"DutchTerm":null},{"BRefID":361628,"AnaPub":null,"MonPub":2023,"RefStringPartII":". Flanders Marine Institute: Ostend. 8 pp. https://dx.doi.org/10.48470/42","StandardTitle":"Diffraction hyperbolae on seismic profiles in the Kortrijk Formation (Princess Elisabeth zone, Belgian part of the North Sea) - preliminary findings. Clay Tectonics project – short note","OrigTitle":null,"AuthorString":"Mestdagh, T. et al.","Relation":null,"DutchTerm":null},{"BRefID":409377,"AnaPub":2025,"MonPub":null,"RefStringPartII":", in: Proceedings of the 5th International Symposium on Frontiers in Offshore Geotechnics (ISFOG). pp. 1-6. https://dx.doi.org/10.53243/ISFOG2025-299","StandardTitle":"Geotechnical characterisation of faulted Paleogene clays","OrigTitle":null,"AuthorString":"Stuyts, B. et al.","Relation":null,"DutchTerm":null},{"BRefID":408378,"AnaPub":2025,"MonPub":null,"RefStringPartII":", in: EAGE Annual 86th Conference and Exhibition, 2-5 June 2025, Toulouse, France. pp. 1-4","StandardTitle":"Pseudo-3D seismic imaging of shallow structural deformations for the development of new windfarms offshore Belgium","OrigTitle":null,"AuthorString":"Saritas, H. et al.","Relation":null,"DutchTerm":null},{"BRefID":396217,"AnaPub":2024,"MonPub":null,"RefStringPartII":", in: Geologica Belgica Luxemburga International Meeting 2024: Celebrating the 150th Anniversary of the “Société Géologique de Belgique”, 11-12-13 September 2024. Abstract book. pp. 368-369","StandardTitle":"Tectonics and deformations of the Kortrijk Clay Formation in the Princess Elisabeth Zone, Belgian Continental Shelf","OrigTitle":null,"AuthorString":"Andikagumi, H. et al.","Relation":null,"DutchTerm":null}],"urls":[{"URL":"www.blauwecluster.be/project/clay-tectonics","externalID":null,"URLTypeCode":null,"URLType":"Project home page","URLTypID":9}],"thesterms":[{"ThesaurusTerm":"ANE, North Sea","ThestID":182108,"ThesTypID":34,"ThesType":"ASFA Geoterms","OrigThesTerm":"ANE, North Sea","DutchTerm":null,"Code":null},{"ThesaurusTerm":"Geophysics","ThestID":178852,"ThesTypID":23,"ThesType":"Flemish Research Disciplines","OrigThesTerm":"Geophysics","DutchTerm":"Geofysica","Code":"01010307"},{"ThesaurusTerm":"Geotechnics","ThestID":3678,"ThesTypID":1,"ThesType":"ASFA Thesaurus List","OrigThesTerm":"Geotechnics","DutchTerm":"Geotechnieken","Code":null},{"ThesaurusTerm":"Marine geoscience","ThestID":179112,"ThesTypID":23,"ThesType":"Flemish Research Disciplines","OrigThesTerm":"Marine geoscience","DutchTerm":"Mariene geowetenschappen","Code":"01050307"},{"ThesaurusTerm":"Offshore Wind Energy","ThestID":169599,"ThesTypID":10,"ThesType":"Assemble Sectors","OrigThesTerm":"Offshore Wind Energy","DutchTerm":null,"Code":null},{"ThesaurusTerm":"PRINC_FUND - 5552 - VLAIO - Blue Cluster - cSBO","ThestID":177802,"ThesTypID":21,"ThesType":"FRIS Principal Funding Codes","OrigThesTerm":"PRINC_FUND - 5552 - VLAIO - Blue Cluster - cSBO","DutchTerm":"PRINC_FUND - 5552 - VLAIO - Blauwe Cluster - cSBO","Code":"5552"},{"ThesaurusTerm":"Seismology and seismic exploration","ThestID":179126,"ThesTypID":23,"ThesType":"Flemish Research Disciplines","OrigThesTerm":"Seismology and seismic exploration","DutchTerm":"Seismologie en seismische exploratie","Code":"01050405"},{"ThesaurusTerm":"Soil mechanics","ThestID":179316,"ThesTypID":23,"ThesType":"Flemish Research Disciplines","OrigThesTerm":"Soil mechanics","DutchTerm":"Bodemmechanica","Code":"02010602"},{"ThesaurusTerm":"Wind engineering","ThestID":179346,"ThesTypID":23,"ThesType":"Flemish Research Disciplines","OrigThesTerm":"Wind engineering","DutchTerm":"Windtechnologie","Code":"02011301"}],"taxterms":null,"geoterms":[{"GeoTerm":"North Sea","GeoObjectID":2350,"OrigGeoTerm":"North Sea","DutchTerm":"Noordzee"}],"funderids":[{"FunderID":"VLADBC5","ThestID":181476,"FunderType":"Other contract id"}],"othtermsFRIS":null,"pictures":[],"spcols":null,"resmessage":"","complete":1}