Our overarching scientific objective is to assess the nature and efficiency of processes responsible for the interactions between the solid Earth and hydrosphere at a wide range of temporal and spatial scales. We will do this to address fundamental questions on the Earth’s evolution and respond to a pressing demand regarding the effect of the ongoing natural and anthropogenic climate change on the Earth’s surface habitability. We will use state-of-the art modelling techniques and novel data mining methods combined with newly available high resolution observational datasets.

Specific science objectives of INITIATE are:

1. To quantify how rapidly changing climate, tectonics, and topography control landscape stability, debris flow activity, and associated geohazards.
2. To construct a coherent understanding of rapid height changes of the Earth surface and improve natural hazard prediction in tectonically active areas such as the Andes and the Gulf of Corinth from changes on the Earth surface at sub-meters to several kilometres scale.
3. To determine the influence of present and past climate change on hydro-mechanical systems and assess how climate change can affect subsurface reservoirs.
4. To determine the role of short-term (<100 kyr) climate change on rift depositional systems and coupling between short-term climate-driven changes in surface processes and faulting.
5. To define how short and long-term climate driven erosion, sediment transport, and deposition affect foreland fold and thrust belts and foreland basin evolution.
6. To establish tectonic and climate controls on continental-scale sediment transfer and relief.
7. To explore the potential of big data in Earth Sciences on research questions relevant to tectonic-climate feedbacks.