Javier Escartín
@jescartin.bsky.social
CNRS Scientist @ Ecole Normale Supérieure de Paris (Dept. of Geosciences). Marine geologist.
Mapping the seafloor - including with robots (autonomous and remotely-operated). Interested in tectonics, volcanism, hydrothermal activity... mostly under water.
Mapping the seafloor - including with robots (autonomous and remotely-operated). Interested in tectonics, volcanism, hydrothermal activity... mostly under water.
The School de PIs #2 "ECOLπ2" now sails from St John's, arriving at Brest 21st Oct. Onboard l'Atalante F. Lallier (Sorbonne U., Station Biol. Roscoff) & M. Delescluse (ENS de Paris) together w/ 5 young scientists, C. Prigent, M. Bickert, J. Tugend, S. Sambolian & M. Ourgaud, under sunny skies now.
October 12, 2025 at 2:24 PM
The School de PIs #2 "ECOLπ2" now sails from St John's, arriving at Brest 21st Oct. Onboard l'Atalante F. Lallier (Sorbonne U., Station Biol. Roscoff) & M. Delescluse (ENS de Paris) together w/ 5 young scientists, C. Prigent, M. Bickert, J. Tugend, S. Sambolian & M. Ourgaud, under sunny skies now.
4) Sonar coverage during a dive of AUV Ulyx (gray background) covering a zone of approximately 6x3 km, with sonar swaths of about 400 m (horizontal stripes). The identified barrels shown as black dots line up along tracks followed by ships during barge dumping.
July 11, 2025 at 5:25 PM
4) Sonar coverage during a dive of AUV Ulyx (gray background) covering a zone of approximately 6x3 km, with sonar swaths of about 400 m (horizontal stripes). The identified barrels shown as black dots line up along tracks followed by ships during barge dumping.
Copyright for all images: Flotte Océanographique Française - Campagne NODSSUM.
2) Barrel dumped at the seafloor at about 4700 m water depth and 3) a probable leak of unknown material - probably tar used to embed the waste in the barrels.
2) Barrel dumped at the seafloor at about 4700 m water depth and 3) a probable leak of unknown material - probably tar used to embed the waste in the barrels.
July 11, 2025 at 5:25 PM
Copyright for all images: Flotte Océanographique Française - Campagne NODSSUM.
2) Barrel dumped at the seafloor at about 4700 m water depth and 3) a probable leak of unknown material - probably tar used to embed the waste in the barrels.
2) Barrel dumped at the seafloor at about 4700 m water depth and 3) a probable leak of unknown material - probably tar used to embed the waste in the barrels.
Copyright for all images: Flotte Océanographique Française - Campagne NODSSUM.
1) Swath of Ulyx sonar data (left) and close-up of the barrels at the seafloor, showing as bright spots (from box on the left), with the bright illuminated side by the sonar and the shadow away from the AUV.
1) Swath of Ulyx sonar data (left) and close-up of the barrels at the seafloor, showing as bright spots (from box on the left), with the bright illuminated side by the sonar and the shadow away from the AUV.
July 11, 2025 at 5:25 PM
Copyright for all images: Flotte Océanographique Française - Campagne NODSSUM.
1) Swath of Ulyx sonar data (left) and close-up of the barrels at the seafloor, showing as bright spots (from box on the left), with the bright illuminated side by the sonar and the shadow away from the AUV.
1) Swath of Ulyx sonar data (left) and close-up of the barrels at the seafloor, showing as bright spots (from box on the left), with the bright illuminated side by the sonar and the shadow away from the AUV.
🧪⚒️ #NODSSUM cruise - On land, material & samples make their way back to home labs. And this morning we showed sonar images of barrels & photos taken by Ulyx flying at ~10 m above seafloor. Lots to do back in labs & offices. It was intense - good intense. Images: see copyright etc in thread
July 11, 2025 at 5:25 PM
🧪⚒️ #NODSSUM cruise - On land, material & samples make their way back to home labs. And this morning we showed sonar images of barrels & photos taken by Ulyx flying at ~10 m above seafloor. Lots to do back in labs & offices. It was intense - good intense. Images: see copyright etc in thread
🧪⚒️ #NODSSUM cruise - Sunday w/ pains au chocolat - & 48 h till we leave the work site. Last night no UlyX dive due to weather & coring. The 12-tube Oktopus corer preserves the water - sediment interface, and a critical part to look for radionuclides from barrels or surface fall-out.
July 6, 2025 at 1:26 PM
🧪⚒️ #NODSSUM cruise - Sunday w/ pains au chocolat - & 48 h till we leave the work site. Last night no UlyX dive due to weather & coring. The 12-tube Oktopus corer preserves the water - sediment interface, and a critical part to look for radionuclides from barrels or surface fall-out.
🧪⚒️ #NODSSUM cruise - we are into the last week of the cruise. Up to now we have been spared of bad weather. We are now sandwiched in a narrow high pressure corridor w/ calm seas… ans spectacular sunsets & sunrises & moon rivers - but some rocking in the horizon this weekend.
July 4, 2025 at 6:08 AM
🧪⚒️ #NODSSUM cruise - we are into the last week of the cruise. Up to now we have been spared of bad weather. We are now sandwiched in a narrow high pressure corridor w/ calm seas… ans spectacular sunsets & sunrises & moon rivers - but some rocking in the horizon this weekend.
🧪⚒️ #NODSSUM cruise - Operational update - North East Atlantic zones NEA#3 and NEA#4 of radioactive dump. UlyX mapped w/sonar 110 km2 in 7 dives (1 to process ), detecting more than 1900 barrels, 9 sites cored 1 going (sediment), more than 10 rosettes (water samples), & 9 rattails w/fish traps
June 30, 2025 at 1:45 PM
🧪⚒️ #NODSSUM cruise - Operational update - North East Atlantic zones NEA#3 and NEA#4 of radioactive dump. UlyX mapped w/sonar 110 km2 in 7 dives (1 to process ), detecting more than 1900 barrels, 9 sites cored 1 going (sediment), more than 10 rosettes (water samples), & 9 rattails w/fish traps
🧪⚒️ #NODSSUM cruise - WOW behind and WOW! Science day: Ulyx came back from a sonar survey at a site visited by AUV Epaulard in 1983 - >600 barrels more (>1800 to date) + a CTD/rosette during the dive, succesful sediment coring, and two fish traps recovered w/ 5 rattails (grenadiers).
June 28, 2025 at 4:09 PM
🧪⚒️ #NODSSUM cruise - WOW behind and WOW! Science day: Ulyx came back from a sonar survey at a site visited by AUV Epaulard in 1983 - >600 barrels more (>1800 to date) + a CTD/rosette during the dive, succesful sediment coring, and two fish traps recovered w/ 5 rattails (grenadiers).
🧪⚒️ #NODSSUM cruise - WOW - Wainting on Weather with a multibeam survey and no Ulyx dive yesterday- after 5 days of work at the radioactive waste dump site. After 5 Ulyx dives we now located >1200 barrels in sonar maps, and sediment/water/fish sampling is well on the way… more details later…
June 27, 2025 at 8:51 AM
🧪⚒️ #NODSSUM cruise - WOW - Wainting on Weather with a multibeam survey and no Ulyx dive yesterday- after 5 days of work at the radioactive waste dump site. After 5 Ulyx dives we now located >1200 barrels in sonar maps, and sediment/water/fish sampling is well on the way… more details later…
🧪⚒️ #NODSSUM cruise - we arrived to the radioactive waste dump site 2 days ago & AUV UlyX is brings up sonar data that will guide our sampling strategy. After checks for radioprotection, sonar data (500 Gb) transfer via the sturdiest hard drive ever - rated 6000m depth in a tinanium bottle.
June 22, 2025 at 7:26 AM
🧪⚒️ #NODSSUM cruise - we arrived to the radioactive waste dump site 2 days ago & AUV UlyX is brings up sonar data that will guide our sampling strategy. After checks for radioprotection, sonar data (500 Gb) transfer via the sturdiest hard drive ever - rated 6000m depth in a tinanium bottle.
🧪⚒️ #NODSSUM cruise - the first operations to test sampling of water and sediment, radioprotection protocoles, and the AUV w/ its new sonar are done. Soon off to a reference site w/ depths of more than 4800 m, before the work at the radioactive dump site.
June 17, 2025 at 1:38 PM
🧪⚒️ #NODSSUM cruise - the first operations to test sampling of water and sediment, radioprotection protocoles, and the AUV w/ its new sonar are done. Soon off to a reference site w/ depths of more than 4800 m, before the work at the radioactive dump site.
🧪⚒️ #NODSSUM cruise - L’Atalante is now on the way after leaving Brest. First AUV UlyX dive tuesday morning to test all the instruments - and water and sediment sampling to set in place procedures and train the teams.
June 16, 2025 at 10:59 AM
🧪⚒️ #NODSSUM cruise - L’Atalante is now on the way after leaving Brest. First AUV UlyX dive tuesday morning to test all the instruments - and water and sediment sampling to set in place procedures and train the teams.
🧪⚒️ #NODSSUM cruise - the yellow UlyX - the autonomous underwater vehicle or AUV - is onboard this sunny Saturday morning - ready for deep diving & mapping the abyssal plains of the Atlantic. Back deck of l’Atalante now fully occupied also with moorings, corers, rosettes, etc. Almost ready to go.
June 14, 2025 at 6:53 AM
🧪⚒️ #NODSSUM cruise - the yellow UlyX - the autonomous underwater vehicle or AUV - is onboard this sunny Saturday morning - ready for deep diving & mapping the abyssal plains of the Atlantic. Back deck of l’Atalante now fully occupied also with moorings, corers, rosettes, etc. Almost ready to go.
🧪⚒️ #NODSSUM cruise - L’Atalante @ Brest harbor @ our arrival &some night pics. Empty but loading has begun & will be filled today w/ containers, instruments, the Ulyx autonomous robot, computers… Boarding Sun to set up labs & work spaces. Thanks to all making this possible #DT_INSU #FOF #GENAVIR
June 13, 2025 at 9:19 AM
🧪⚒️ #NODSSUM cruise - Wind and waves are limiting factors for operations at sea - & thus to gather samples and data. While far ahead, but we begin to keep track of predictions in our working area (~46N 17W 😬) - working from the 20th of June, for about 20 days (check wave height at the flagpole).
June 7, 2025 at 8:01 AM
🧪⚒️ #NODSSUM cruise - Wind and waves are limiting factors for operations at sea - & thus to gather samples and data. While far ahead, but we begin to keep track of predictions in our working area (~46N 17W 😬) - working from the 20th of June, for about 20 days (check wave height at the flagpole).
🧪⚒️ #NODSSUM cruise - J-10 and cruise preparations move along. Quizz - what is this shipment just received at Clermont Ferrand? Some clues: Not depth-rated 6000 m, ~5.5 kg in air and <0.5 kg in water. Not critical for any specific scientific operation.
June 4, 2025 at 9:34 PM
🧪⚒️ #NODSSUM cruise - J-10 and cruise preparations move along. Quizz - what is this shipment just received at Clermont Ferrand? Some clues: Not depth-rated 6000 m, ~5.5 kg in air and <0.5 kg in water. Not critical for any specific scientific operation.
🧪⚒️ - New Junior Professor (CPJ) position submarine volcanology at Saclay (FR). Applications opening spring 2025. Contacts: xavier.quidelleur@universite-paris-saclay.fr, anthony.hildenbrand@universite-paris-saclay.fr, alexandra.courin@universite-paris-saclay.fr.
March 11, 2025 at 9:34 AM
🧪⚒️ - New Junior Professor (CPJ) position submarine volcanology at Saclay (FR). Applications opening spring 2025. Contacts: xavier.quidelleur@universite-paris-saclay.fr, anthony.hildenbrand@universite-paris-saclay.fr, alexandra.courin@universite-paris-saclay.fr.
⚒️🧪🌊 25/25 -The #VG2024 leader completed the race after 64j19h22 at 17.8 knots. More than 26700 nm (~51000 km) crossing 4 major mid-ocean ridges (Mid-Atlantic, Southwest, South East & East Pacific Rise) & around Antarctica. Thnks to @jie-chen.bsky.social for the Spilhaus map: doi.org/10.1038/s415...
January 16, 2025 at 1:12 PM
⚒️🧪🌊 25/25 -The #VG2024 leader completed the race after 64j19h22 at 17.8 knots. More than 26700 nm (~51000 km) crossing 4 major mid-ocean ridges (Mid-Atlantic, Southwest, South East & East Pacific Rise) & around Antarctica. Thnks to @jie-chen.bsky.social for the Spilhaus map: doi.org/10.1038/s415...
⚒️🧪🌊 24/n - & the #VG2024 lead is near King's Trough, a failed rift formed perpendicular to the ridge axis 40 to 25 Myrs ago, now fossilised. First named by Laughton in '65 and described in detail by Matthews et al. in '69, the rift is a few km deep, and reaches 6000 m bsl @ Keep Deep to the East.
January 12, 2025 at 3:44 PM
⚒️🧪🌊 24/n - & the #VG2024 lead is near King's Trough, a failed rift formed perpendicular to the ridge axis 40 to 25 Myrs ago, now fossilised. First named by Laughton in '65 and described in detail by Matthews et al. in '69, the rift is a few km deep, and reaches 6000 m bsl @ Keep Deep to the East.
This seamount is depicted in Marie Tharp's physiographic maps. The first proper map in 1963 by R. M. Pratt reported shallowest depth of 165 fathoms (300 m), reported several marine terraces, and took some of the earliest seafloor photos showing carbonates & other sediments
doi.org/10.1016/0011...
doi.org/10.1016/0011...
January 12, 2025 at 2:17 PM
This seamount is depicted in Marie Tharp's physiographic maps. The first proper map in 1963 by R. M. Pratt reported shallowest depth of 165 fathoms (300 m), reported several marine terraces, and took some of the earliest seafloor photos showing carbonates & other sediments
doi.org/10.1016/0011...
doi.org/10.1016/0011...
⚒️🧪🌊 23/n - The #VG2024 sailed over Great Meteor Guyot - part of a set of hotspot seamounts formed 20 to Myrs ago, possibly linked to the Azores hotspot to the N. The Guyot is flat topped due to wave erosion & later subsidence. It was 1st mapped & named during the N Atlantic Meteor cruise in 1937.
January 12, 2025 at 2:17 PM
⚒️🧪🌊 23/n - The #VG2024 sailed over Great Meteor Guyot - part of a set of hotspot seamounts formed 20 to Myrs ago, possibly linked to the Azores hotspot to the N. The Guyot is flat topped due to wave erosion & later subsidence. It was 1st mapped & named during the N Atlantic Meteor cruise in 1937.
⚒️🧪🌊 - Following up on bsky.app/profile/etha..., here is Chat GPT and Grok's view of a mid ocean ridge system... with clearly distinct visual identities. Chat GTP visually beats Grok. Content-wise... 🤣.
January 5, 2025 at 12:46 PM
⚒️🧪🌊 - Following up on bsky.app/profile/etha..., here is Chat GPT and Grok's view of a mid ocean ridge system... with clearly distinct visual identities. Chat GTP visually beats Grok. Content-wise... 🤣.