Coughlan, Mark and TÓth, Zsuzsanna and Van Landeghem, Katrien J. J. and McCarron, Stephen and Wheeler, Andrew J. (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). pp. 907-919. ISSN 0267-8179

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Abstract

The Wicklow Trough is one of several Irish Sea bathymetric deeps, yet unusually isolated from the main depression, the Western Trough. Its formation has been described as proglacial or subglacial, linked to the Irish Sea Ice Stream (ISIS) during the Last Glacial Maximum. The evolution of the Wicklow Trough and neighbouring deeps, therefore, help us to understand ISIS dynamics, when it was the main ice stream draining the former British–Irish Ice Sheet. The morphology and sub-seabed stratigraphy of the 18 km long and 2 km wide Wicklow Trough is described here from new multibeam echo sounder data, 60 km of sparker seismic profiles and five sediment cores. At a maximum water depth of 82 m, the deep consists of four over deepened sections. The heterogeneous glacial sediments in the Trough overlay bedrock, with indications of flank mass-wasting and subglacial bedforms on its floor. The evidence strongly suggests that the Wicklow Trough is a tunnel valley formed by time-transgressive erosional processes, with pressurised meltwater as the dominant agent during gradual or slow ice sheet retreat. Its location may be fault-controlled, and the northern end of the Wicklow Trough could mark a transition from rapid to slow grounded ice margin retreat, which could be tested with modelling.

Item Type:	Article
Additional Information:	Cite as: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 by Coughlan, Mark; TÓth, Zsuzsanna; Van Landeghem, Katrien J. J ; More... Journal of quaternary science, 10/2020, Volume 35, Issue 7 Peer-Reviewed Open Access Journal Article Full Text Online
Keywords:	glacial processes; Irish Sea; Irish Sea Ice Stream; tunnel valley; Wicklow Trough;
Academic Unit:	Faculty of Social Sciences > Geography Faculty of Social Sciences > Research Institutes > Irish Climate Analysis and Research Units, ICARUS
Item ID:	15747
Identification Number:	https://doi.org/10.1002/jqs.3234
Depositing User:	Dr. Stephen McCarron
Date Deposited:	29 Mar 2022 13:58
Journal or Publication Title:	Journal of Quaternary Science
Publisher:	Wiley
Refereed:	Yes
URI:	Publisher
Use Licence:	This item is available under a Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial Share Alike Licence (CC BY-NC-SA). Details of this licence are available here

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