Chronology and paleoenvironments during the late Weichselian deglaciation of the southwest Iceland shelf

Foraminifera, sedimentology, and tephra geochemistry in core 93030-006 LCF from the southwestern Iceland shelf were used to reconstruct paleoenvironme nts between 12.7 and 9.4 C-14 ka BP, Seismic-reflection profiles place the core in glacial-marine and marine sediments within one meter of the underly ing glacial till. Foraminifers in the earliest glacial-marine sediments pro vide a record of ice-distal conditions and immigration of slope species ont o the shelf in association with warm Atlantic water. Meltwater increased du ring the Allerod under a weakened Atlantic water influence. Arctic conditio ns began by 11.14 C-14 ka BP with an abrupt increase in meltwater and near exclusion of boreal fauna from the shelf. Meltwater diminished in the early Younger Dryas, coinciding with sea-surface cooling between 11.14 and 10.5 C-14 ka BP. A slight warming recorded in the uppermost glacial-marine sedim ents was interrupted by an inferred jokulhlaup event emanating from glacier ice on the Western Volcanic Zone. Retreat of the ice margin from the sea s ometime between c. 10.3 and 9.94 C-14 ka BP coincided with this event. The onset of postglacial marine sedimentation occurred along with increasing ev idence of Atlantic water c. 9.94 C-14 ka BP and was interrupted by a short- lived Pre boreal cooling of the Irminger Current c. 9.91 C-14 ka BP. Condit ions similar to those today were established by 9.7 C-14 ka BP.