Dr Stephen McCarron

    Geography, ICARUS

    Associate Professor

    Rhetoric House
    14
    (01) 708 6147

    Biography

    Dr Stephen McCarron is a member of the international Quaternary research community, conducting research into Irish onshore and offshore sediment sequences. Since 2005 he has been teaching physical geography courses at Maynooth University in the Department of Geography and managing the Irish Sediment Core Research Facility (ISCORF).  He has most recently been part of the Local Organising Committee for the 20th International INQUA Congress, held in Dublin in July 2019, which attracted in excess of 2300 Quaternary researchers to Ireland.

    Research Interests

    My research involves the search for geological evidence of former ice sheet extents and dynamics on the island of Ireland and on its continental shelf. I am actively involved in a number of research projects with several research teams on aspects of the glacial records associated with past Irish Ice Sheets both onshore and offshore Ireland.
    To this end I established a research laboratory at Maynooth University in 2009 to facilitate the analysis of sediment cores from palaeoclimatic archives. The Irish Sediment Core Research Facility (ISCORF) is a nationally accessible geoscience focussed laboratory comprising equipment, expertise, working and storage space dedicated to the analysis of sediment core physical properties. The lab clusters around a GeoTek Multi Sensor Core Logger (MSCL), a grouping of geophysical sensors that allow the rapid, non-invasive high precision quantification of sediment seismic velocity, magnetic susceptibility, bulk density, colour/visual reflectance and electrical resistivity.
       

    Research Projects

      Project Role Funding Body / Program Description Start Date End Date Award (€)
    Mapping Malin: A geological interpretation of the Malin Shelf. PI Irish Research Council (IRC) / Enterprise Partnership Scheme Postdoctoral Fellowship 01-FEB-16 31-JAN-18 91790
    Mapping the shallow geology of the Porcupine Bank, west of Ireland PI Irish Research Council (IRC) / Enterprise Partnership Scheme Postdoctoral Fellowship 01-OCT-14 30-SEP-16 91790
    Grant Aid for Ship Time - GATEWAYS II PI Marine Institute (Ireland) / Government State Bodies 03-MAR-14 02-APR-14 192000
    COLDSTORE: Enhanced facilities for the extension of sediment core shelf life. PI INFOMAR - Marine Institute and Geological Survey of Ireland / INFOMAR / Government State Bodies 05-DEC-11 10-DEC-12 60000
    Grant Aid for Ship Time - GATEWAYS I PI Marine Institute (Ireland) / Government State Bodies 21-APR-12 12-MAY-12 184000
    RIDGES: Regionally IntegrateD GEological Mapping of the Celtic Sea PI INFOMAR - Marine Institute and Geological Survey of Ireland / INFOMAR / Government State Bodies 01-MAR-10 30-NOV-10 30000
    Evaluating Irish Marine Palaeoclimate Records (EIMeR) PI INFOMAR - Marine Institute and Geological Survey of Ireland / INFOMAR / Government State Bodies 01-JAN-09 30-SEP-09 30000

    Peer Reviewed Journals

      Year Publication
    2021 'Interaction of multiple ice streams on the Malin Shelf during deglaciation of the last British-Irish Ice Sheet'
    Craven, KF;McCarron, S;Monteys, X;Dove, D (2021) 'Interaction of multiple ice streams on the Malin Shelf during deglaciation of the last British-Irish Ice Sheet'. JOURNAL OF QUATERNARY SCIENCE, 36 (2):153-168 [DOI] [Details]
    2021 'Timing and pace of ice-sheet withdrawal across the marine–terrestrial transition west of Ireland during the last glaciation'
    Ó Cofaigh C.;Callard S.L.;Roberts D.H.;Chiverrell R.C.;Ballantyne C.K.;Evans D.J.A.;Saher M.;Van Landeghem K.J.J.;Smedley R.;Benetti S.;Burke M.;Clark C.D.;Duller G.A.T.;Fabel D.;Livingstone S.J.;Mccarron S.;Medialdea A.;Moreton S.G.;Sacchetti F. (2021) 'Timing and pace of ice-sheet withdrawal across the marine–terrestrial transition west of Ireland during the last glaciation'. JOURNAL OF QUATERNARY SCIENCE, 36 (5):805-832 [DOI] [Details]
    2021 'Maximum extent and readvance dynamics of the Irish Sea Ice Stream and Irish Sea Glacier since the Last Glacial Maximum'
    James D Scourse, Richard C Chiverrell, RK Smedley, David Small, Matthew J Burke, Margot Saher, Katrien JJ Van Landeghem, Geoff AT Duller, CÓ Cofaigh, MD Bateman, Sara Benetti, Sarah Bradley, Louise Callard, DJA Evans, Derek Fabel, Geraint Thomas-Howard Jenkins, Stephen McCarron, Alicia Medialdea, Steven Moreton, Xianjiao Ou, Daniel Praeg, David H Roberts, Helen M Roberts, CD Clark (2021) 'Maximum extent and readvance dynamics of the Irish Sea Ice Stream and Irish Sea Glacier since the Last Glacial Maximum'. JOURNAL OF QUATERNARY SCIENCE, 36 (5):780-804 [DOI] [Details]
    2021 'Production of methane and gaseous compounds by surface microbial activity in a small pockmark field, Dunmanus Bay, Ireland'
    O'Reilly S.S.;Jordan S.F.;Monteys X.;Simpson A.J.;Allen C.C.R.;Szpak M.T.;Murphy B.T.;McCarron S.G.;Soong R.;Wu B.;Jenne A.;Grey A.;Kelleher B.P. (2021) 'Production of methane and gaseous compounds by surface microbial activity in a small pockmark field, Dunmanus Bay, Ireland'. Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science, 255 :107340-107340 [DOI] [Details]
    2020 'Formational history of the Wicklow Trough: a marine-transgressed tunnel valley revealing ice flow velocity and retreat rates for the largest ice stream draining the late-Devensian British-Irish Ice Sheet'
    Coughlan, M;Toth, Z;Van Landeghem, KJJ;Mccarron, S;Wheeler, AJ (2020) 'Formational history of the Wicklow Trough: a marine-transgressed tunnel valley revealing ice flow velocity and retreat rates for the largest ice stream draining the late-Devensian British-Irish Ice Sheet'. JOURNAL OF QUATERNARY SCIENCE, 35 (7):907-919 [DOI] [Details]
    2020 'Geomorphological and seismostratigraphic evidence for multidirectional polyphase glaciation of the northern Celtic Sea'
    Toth, Z;McCarron, S;Wheeler, AJ;Wenau, S;Davis, S;Lim, A;Spiess, V (2020) 'Geomorphological and seismostratigraphic evidence for multidirectional polyphase glaciation of the northern Celtic Sea'. JOURNAL OF QUATERNARY SCIENCE, 35 (3):465-478 [DOI] [Details]
    2020 'The role of wet wipes and sanitary towels as a source of white microplastic fibres in the marine environment'
    Ó Briain O.;Marques Mendes A.R.;McCarron S.;Healy M.G.;Morrison L. (2020) 'The role of wet wipes and sanitary towels as a source of white microplastic fibres in the marine environment'. Water Research, 182 [DOI] [Details]
    2019 'Geophysical and geochemical analysis of shallow gas and an associated pockmark field in Bantry Bay, Co. Cork, Ireland'
    Jordan S.;O'Reilly S.;Praeg D.;Dove D.;Facchin L.;Romeo R.;Szpak M.;Monteys X.;Murphy B.;Scott G.;McCarron S.;Kelleher B. (2019) 'Geophysical and geochemical analysis of shallow gas and an associated pockmark field in Bantry Bay, Co. Cork, Ireland'. Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science, 225 [DOI] [full-text] [Details]
    2019 'On the Timing and Nature of the Multiple Phases of Slope Instability on Eastern Rockall Bank, Northeast Atlantic'
    Georgiopoulou, A.; Krastel, S.; Finch, N.; Zehn, K.; McCarron, S.; Huvenne, V. A. I.; Haughton, P. D. W.; Shannon, P. M. (2019) 'On the Timing and Nature of the Multiple Phases of Slope Instability on Eastern Rockall Bank, Northeast Atlantic'. Geochemistry, Geophysics, Geosystems, 20 (2):594-613 [DOI] [full-text] [Details]
    2018 'A Plio-Pleistocene sediment wedge on the continental shelf west of central Ireland: The Connemara Fan'
    McCarron S.;Praeg D.;Ó Cofaigh C.;Monteys X.;Thébaudeau B.;Craven K.;Saqab M.;Cova A. (2018) 'A Plio-Pleistocene sediment wedge on the continental shelf west of central Ireland: The Connemara Fan'. Marine Geology, 399 :97-114 [DOI] [full-text] [Details]
    2018 'Trough geometry was a greater influence than climate-ocean forcing in regulating retreat of the marine-based Irish-Sea Ice Stream'
    Small D.;Smedley R.;Chiverrell R.;Scourse J.;Cofaigh C.;Duller G.;McCarron S.;Burke M.;Evans D.;Fabel D.;Gheorghiu D.;Thomas G.;Xu S.;Clark C. (2018) 'Trough geometry was a greater influence than climate-ocean forcing in regulating retreat of the marine-based Irish-Sea Ice Stream'. Geological Society of America Bulletin, 130 (11-12):1981-1999 [DOI] [full-text] [Details]
    2018 'Irish Ice Sheet dynamics during deglaciation of the central Irish Midlands: Evidence of ice streaming and surging from airborne LiDAR'
    Delaney C.;McCarron S.;Davis S. (2018) 'Irish Ice Sheet dynamics during deglaciation of the central Irish Midlands: Evidence of ice streaming and surging from airborne LiDAR'. Geomorphology, 306 :235-253 [DOI] [full-text] [Details]
    2015 'Occurrence, characteristics and formation mechanisms of methane generated micro-pockmarks in Dunmanus Bay, Ireland'
    Szpak, MT;Monteys, X;O'Reilly, SS;Lilley, MKS;Scott, GA;Hart, KM;McCarron, SG;Kelleher, BP (2015) 'Occurrence, characteristics and formation mechanisms of methane generated micro-pockmarks in Dunmanus Bay, Ireland'. Continental Shelf Research, 103 :45-59 [DOI] [full-text] [Details]
    2015 'Ice sheet extension to the Celtic Sea shelf edge at the Last Glacial Maximum'
    Praeg, D;McCarron, S;Dove, D;O Cofaigh, C;Scott, G;Monteys, X;Facchin, L;Romeo, R;Coxon, P (2015) 'Ice sheet extension to the Celtic Sea shelf edge at the Last Glacial Maximum'. QUATERNARY SCIENCE REVIEWS, 111 :107-112 [DOI] [full-text] [Details]
    2014 'Deglaciation of the Dungiven basin, north-west Ireland'
    McCarron S. (2014) 'Deglaciation of the Dungiven basin, north-west Ireland'. IRISH JOURNAL OF EARTH SCIENCES, 31 :43-71 [DOI] [full-text] [Details]
    2013 'Portable X-Ray Fluorescence as a Rapid Technique for Surveying Elemental Distributions in Soil'
    Radu, T;Gallagher, S;Byrne, B;Harris, P;Coveney, S;McCarron, S;McCarthy, T;Diamond, D (2013) 'Portable X-Ray Fluorescence as a Rapid Technique for Surveying Elemental Distributions in Soil'. Spectroscopy Letters, 46 :516-526 [DOI] [full-text] [Details]
    2012 'Sedimentological models of glacially influenced deposition along the western Irish continental shelf'
    Dr Stephen G McCarron (2012) 'Sedimentological models of glacially influenced deposition along the western Irish continental shelf'. QUATERNARY INTERNATIONAL, 279-280 :315-316 [Details]
    2009 'Cosmogenic Be-10 chronology of the last deglaciation of western Ireland, and implications for sensitivity of the Irish Ice Sheet to climate change'
    Clark, J;McCabe, AM;Schnabel, C;Clark, PU;McCarron, S;Freeman, SPHT;Maden, C;Xu, S (2009) 'Cosmogenic Be-10 chronology of the last deglaciation of western Ireland, and implications for sensitivity of the Irish Ice Sheet to climate change'. Geological Society of America Bulletin, 121 :3-16 [DOI] [full-text] [Details]
    2007 'Using GIS to map the evolution of the Gaeltacht'
    Na Bhradaigh E.;McCarron S.;Walsh J.;Duffy P. (2007) 'Using GIS to map the evolution of the Gaeltacht'. Irish Geography, 40 (1):99-108 [full-text] [Details]
    1999 'Landform modification along a palaeo-ice stream, north central Ireland'
    Knight, J., McCarron, S.G. and McCabe, A.M. (1999) 'Landform modification along a palaeo-ice stream, north central Ireland'. Annals of Glaciology, 28 :161-167 [full-text] [Details]
    1999 'Ice-flow stages and glacial bedforms in north central Ireland: a record of rapid environmental change during the last glacial termination'
    McCabe, AM;Knight, J;McCarron, SG (1999) 'Ice-flow stages and glacial bedforms in north central Ireland: a record of rapid environmental change during the last glacial termination'. Journal of the Geological Society, 156 :63-72 [full-text] [Details]
    1998 'Evidence for Heinrich event 1 in the British Isles'
    McCabe, M;Knight, J;McCarron, S (1998) 'Evidence for Heinrich event 1 in the British Isles'. JOURNAL OF QUATERNARY SCIENCE, 13 :549-568 [full-text] [Details]

    Books

      Year Publication
    2019 The Quaternary Geology of Killiney Bay.
    McCarron, S. (2019) The Quaternary Geology of Killiney Bay. Dublin, Ireland: Irish Quaternary Association. [Details]

    Edited Books

      Year Publication
    2017 Advances in Irish Quaternary Studies
    Coxon, P.; McCarron, S.G.; Mitchell, F.M (Ed.). (2017) Advances in Irish Quaternary Studies Paris: Atlantis Press. [Details]
    2010 The Beara Peninsula
    McCarron, S.G.; Stefanini, B (Ed.). (2010) The Beara Peninsula Dublin: Irish Quaternary Association. [Details]
    2008 Field Guide to the north of Ireland
    Whitehouse, N., Roe, H.M., McCarron, S. and Knight, J (Ed.). (2008) Field Guide to the north of Ireland London: Quaternary Research Association. [Details]

    Book Chapters

      Year Publication
    2017 'Introduction: Advances in Irish Quaternary Studies'
    Coxon, P; McCarron, S; Mitchell, F (2017) 'Introduction: Advances in Irish Quaternary Studies' In: ADVANCES IN IRISH QUATERNARY STUDIES. PARIS: ATLANTIS PRESS. [DOI] [Details]
    2017 'Advances in Irish Quaternary Studies Preface'
    Coxon, P;McCarron, S;Mitchell, F (2017) 'Advances in Irish Quaternary Studies Preface' In: ADVANCES IN IRISH QUATERNARY STUDIES. PARIS: ATLANTIS PRESS. [Details]
    2013 'Glacial Geology and Geomorphology: Introduction'
    Dr Stephen G McCarron (2013) 'Glacial Geology and Geomorphology: Introduction' In: North Mayo. Dublin: IQUA. [Details]
    2013 'Offshore Evidence'
    Dr Stephen G McCarron (2013) 'Offshore Evidence' In: North Mayo. Dublin: IQUA. [Details]
    2012 'Spaced and Timed in the New York Marathon'
    Dr Stephen G McCarron (2012) 'Spaced and Timed in the New York Marathon' In: 0 at 40, Celebrating 40years of Geography at NUI Maynooth. Maynooth, Ireland: Dept. of Geography, NUI Maynooth. [full-text] [Details]
    2009 'Cenozoic: Tertiary and Quaternary (until 11,700 years before 2000)'
    Coxon, P. and McCarron, S.G. (2009) 'Cenozoic: Tertiary and Quaternary (until 11,700 years before 2000)' In: The Geology of Ireland, 2nd ed. Edinburgh: Dunedin Academic Press. [full-text] [Details]
    2008 'Introduction: glacial geology and geomorphology of the North of Ireland'
    McCarron, S.G. (2008) 'Introduction: glacial geology and geomorphology of the North of Ireland' In: Field Guide to the north of Ireland. London: Quaternary Research Association. [Details]
    2004 'Pleistocene glaciations in Ireland'
    Knight, J., Coxon, P., McCabe, A.M. and McCarron, S.G. (2004) 'Pleistocene glaciations in Ireland' In: Quaternary Glaciations – Extent and Chronology. Holland: Elsevier B.V. [Details]

    Other Journals

      Year Publication
    2017 'A regional seismostratigraphy for Quaternary deposits on the Malin Shelf, northwest of Ireland'
    Craven, K.F., McCarron, S.G., Monteys, X. (2017) 'A regional seismostratigraphy for Quaternary deposits on the Malin Shelf, northwest of Ireland' Geophysical Research Abstracts, 19 :2243-2243. [Details]
    2017 'A Three-Dimensional Approach to Investigating Hummocky Terrain using Airborne Lidar and Ground-Penetrating Radar'
    Delaney, C., McCarron, S., Adamson, K., Davis, S. (2017) 'A Three-Dimensional Approach to Investigating Hummocky Terrain using Airborne Lidar and Ground-Penetrating Radar' Geophysical Research Abstracts, 19 :10216-10216. [Details]
    2016 'Improved age constraints for the retreat of the Irish Sea Ice Stream'
    Smedley, R., Chiverrell , R., Duller, G., Scourse, J., Small, D., Fabel, D., Burke, M., Clark , C., Mc Carroll , D., Mc Carron , S., O’Cofaigh , C., Roberts, D. (2016) 'Improved age constraints for the retreat of the Irish Sea Ice Stream' Geophysical Research Abstracts, 18 :774-774. [Details]
    2016 'The ridges of the northern Porcupine Bank, west of Ireland: discussion on their structure, sedimentology and potential subglacial origin'
    Thébaudeau, B., McCarron, S., Monteys, X., Renken S. (2016) 'The ridges of the northern Porcupine Bank, west of Ireland: discussion on their structure, sedimentology and potential subglacial origin' Geophysical Research Abstracts, 18 :6395-6395. [full-text] [Details]
    2016 'The Seabed and Shallow Geology Mapping of the Porcupine Bank, West of Ireland'
    Thébaudeau, B., Monteys, X., McCarron, S. (2016) 'The Seabed and Shallow Geology Mapping of the Porcupine Bank, West of Ireland' AGU Ocean Sciences Meeting Abstracts, . [Details]
    2009 'Why study the long term climate history of Ireland?'
    McCarron, S.G. (2009) 'Why study the long term climate history of Ireland?' Milieu, 32 :8-9. [full-text] [Details]
    2007 '‘Good Cubans do not need ..’ or some reflections on a changing Cuba'
    McCarron, S.G. (2007) '‘Good Cubans do not need ..’ or some reflections on a changing Cuba' Milieu, 30 :35-38. [Details]

    Conference Publications

      Year Publication
    2012 Gravity flow deposits in the deep rockall trough, northeast atlantic
    Georgiopoulou A.;Benetti S.;Shannon P.;Haughton P.;McCarron S. (2012) Gravity flow deposits in the deep rockall trough, northeast atlantic Submarine Mass Movements and Their Consequences - 5th International Symposium , pp.695-707 [DOI] [Details]

    Conference Contributions

      Year Publication
    2019 20th Congress of the International Union for Quaternary Research (INQUA).
    Stephen McCarron, Zsuzsanna Tóth, Andrew Wheeler, Stefan Wenau, Stephen Davis, Aaron Lim, Volkhard Spiess (2019) 20th Congress of the International Union for Quaternary Research (INQUA). [Oral Presentation], Geomorphological and seismostratigraphic evidence for multidirectional polyphase glaciation of the northern Celtic Sea, Dublin, Ireland , 24-JUL-19 - 31-JUL-19 [Details]
    2019 20th Congress of the International Union for Quaternary Research (INQUA).
    Stephen McCarron, Mudasar Saqab, Kieran Craven, Daniel Praeg, Benjamin Thebaudeau, Xavier Monteys (2019) 20th Congress of the International Union for Quaternary Research (INQUA). [Poster Presentation], Quaternary ice sheet limits on the continental shelf west of Ireland, Dublin, Ireland , 24-JUL-19 - 31-JUL-19 [full-text] [Details]
    2019 20th Congress of the International Union for Quaternary Research (INQUA).
    Daniel Praeg, Stephen McCarron, Dayton Dove, Daniela Accettella, Andrea Cova, Lorenzo Facchin, Xavier Monteys (2019) 20th Congress of the International Union for Quaternary Research (INQUA). [Poster Presentation], Submarine geomorphology of the Celtic Sea continental shelf and the southern extent of glaciation on the Atlantic margin of Europe, Dublin, Ireland , 24-JUL-19 - 31-JUL-19 [Details]
    2019 20th Congress of the International Union for Quaternary Research (INQUA).
    Cathy Delaney, Kathryn Adamson, Lorna Linch, Stephen Davis, Stephen McCarron (2019) 20th Congress of the International Union for Quaternary Research (INQUA). [Oral Presentation], Reconstructing the Last Irish Ice Sheet in the Irish Midlands: Mapping Hummocky Topography using LiDAR and Ground-Penetrating Radar (GPR), Dublin, Ireland , 24-JUL-19 - 31-JUL-19 [Details]
    2016 American Geophysical Union Fall Meeting.
    Tóth, Z., Wheeler, A. J., McCarron, S.G., Monteys, X. (2016) American Geophysical Union Fall Meeting. [Poster Presentation], Esker ridges and seismostratigraphic evidence for a southerly ice flow extending onto the present nearshore continental shelf of the Celtic Sea, SE Ireland, New Orleans, USA [Details]
    2017 American Geophysical Union Fall Meeting.
    Craven, K.F., Monteys, X., McCarron, S.G. (2017) American Geophysical Union Fall Meeting. [Poster Presentation], Supervised classification of continental shelf sediment off western Donegal, New Orleans, USA [Details]
    2009 IQUA Spring Meeting.
    (2009) IQUA Spring Meeting. [Oral Presentation], Progress in Evaluating Ireland's Offshore Archives, TCD Dublin [Details]

    Thesis

      Year Publication
    2000 Late Devensian Glaciation of the North of Ireland.
    McCarron, S.G. (2000) Late Devensian Glaciation of the North of Ireland. University of ulster: Thesis [Details]

    Education

      Year Institution Qualification Subject
    2001 University of Ulster D.Phil Glacial Geology
    1993 University of Leicester M.Sc. Geographical Information Systems
    1992 Queen's University of Belfast B.Sc. Geography

    Employment

      Employer Position From / To
    Maynooth University Associate Professor 05-SEP-05 /
    Trinity College Dublin Contract Lecturer 01-SEP-03 / 31-MAY-05
    Geological Survey of Ireland Project Geologist 01-FEB-98 / 31-JAN-01
    University of Ulster Research Assistant 01-APR-94 / 31-MAR-97

    Professional Associations

      Association Function From / To
    Irish Quaternary Association Chairperson 15-MAR-05 / 14-MAR-08
    Irish Quaternary Association Secretary 14-MAR-08 / 18-MAR-11
    Irish Quaternary Association Member 25-MAR-94 /
    Quaternary Research Association Member 25-MAR-94 /

    Committees

      Committee Function From / To
    Faculty of Science and Engineering Dept. of Geography invited representative 2018 /
    Faculty of Social Science Research Committee Geography Representative 2017 /
    INQUA 2019 Local Organising Committee Chairperson, Fieldtrips Subcommittee 2015 / 2019

    Reviews

      Journal Role
    Irish Journal Of Earth Sciences Editor
    Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology Reviewer
    Quaternary Science Reviews Reviewer
    Earth Surface Processes And Landforms Reviewer
    Journal Of Quaternary Science Reviewer
    Geografiska Annaler, Series A: Physical Geography Reviewer
    Journal Of Maps Reviewer
    Proceedings Of The Geologists' Association Reviewer

    Other Activities

      Description

    I have been invited to act as External Examiner for a period of four years beginning 2017/18 for the Physical Geography and Environmental Sciences undergraduate programmes at Manchester Metropolitan University.

    Teaching Interests

    In my teaching and research at Maynooth University I have focused on describing and interpreting Earth processes and history.  I teach multiple undergraduate and postgraduate modules every year in collaboration with many colleagues in Geography and soon within a newly established BSc in Biological and Geographical Sciences programme I currently co-direct.

    External Collaborators

      Name Role / Description Country
    Dr Daniel Praeg. Geo-Azur, France Co-PI FRANCE
    Dr Cathy Delaney Manchester Metropolitan University Co-PI UNITED KINGDOM
    Mr Xavier Monteys. Geological Survey of Ireland INFOMAR programme officer IRELAND