A critical review of the glaciomarine model for Irish sea deglaciation: evidence from southern Britain, the Celtic shelf and adjacent continental slope

In support of their 'glaciomarine' model for the deglaciation of the Irish Sea basin, Eyles and McCabe cited the occurrence of distal glaciomarine mud drapes onshore in the Isles of Scilly and North Devon, and of arctic beach -face gravels and sands around the shores of the Celtic Sea, Glacial and se a-level data from the southern part of the Irish Sea in the terminal zone o f the ice stream and the adjacent continental slope are reviewed here to te st this aspect of the model. The suggestion that the glacial sequences of b oth the Isles of Scilly and Fremington in North Devon are glaciomarine mud drapes is rejected. An actively calving tidewater margin only occurred earl y in the deglacial sequence close to the terminal zone in the south-central Celtic Sea. Relative sea-levels were lower, and therefore glacio-isostatic depression less, than envisaged in the glaciomarine model. Geochronologica l, sedimentological and biostratigraphical data indicate that the raised be ach sequences around the shores of the Celtic Sea and English Channel were deposited at, or during regression soon after, interglacial eustatic highst ands. Evidence for ice-rafting at a time of high relative sea-levels is res tricted to a phase(s) earlier than the Late Devensian. These data indicate that the raised beach sequences have no bearing on the style of Irish Sea d eglaciation. Copyright (C) 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.