Discovery of a new ‘furthest south’ glacial sediment fan on the inner shelf west of central Ireland.

Some of the surveying shipboard party onboard the Marine Institute RV Celtic Voyager following the GATEWAYS1 research cruise in 2012 (L-R Cathal Clarke (formerly NUIG), Johnny Miranda (GeoResources), Prof. Colm O’Cofaigh (Durham University, Dept. of Geography), Dr. Stephen McCarron (Maynooth University, Dept. of Geography).
Tuesday, March 6, 2018 - 12:45

Large sediment fans recording shelf edge deposition from marine-terminating ice sheets have previously been recognised along the NW European continental margin from Svalbard to as far south as Donegal, off north-west Ireland. The Connemara Fan is inferred to record sediment supply from central western Ireland, with Quaternary units probably recording at least two glacial advance-retreat cycles with ice sheets repeatedly grounding across the inner (Irish Mainland) shelf. Our findings extend the range of glacially-influenced grounding line depocentres southwards along the NW European continental margin.  The fan contains an ocean history that could greatly improve our understanding of North Atlantic climate and circulation. More details on the research projects underway at Maynooth University on this and related topics here: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Stephen_Mccarron2