Late Glacial Sea Level Minima in the Western British Isles (NERC Grant NE/H024069/1)

Due to differential loading of ice on Britain and Ireland the glacial isostatic adjustment (GIA) response and therefore sea-level record will vary with distance from the centre of the British Irish Ice Sheet. GIA models are tested against geological observations, however there is a paucity of observations below -10m depth and the lateglacial period when the BIIS retreated leading to a rapid response of both sea-level and GIA. The aim of the project was to use geophysical data, ground truthed by core material, to find evidence of lateglacial sea-level minima in the Irish and Celtic Sea to refine these GIA models. Cruise log and digital copies of the core information (location, water depth, core length) taken onboard the research cruise CE12008 on the RV Celtic Explorer. A GeoReseource 6m vibrocorer was used to collect sediment samples. Cores where taken at multiple sites and from southern and eastern Ireland: Bantry Bay, Dunmanus Bay, Waterford,Offshore County Louth and Dundalk Bay, offshore Isle of Man; offshore Wales: Cardingan Bay; and offshore Northern Ireland: Kilkeel and Dundrum Bay, Belfast Lough.