Palaeoenvironmental change following deglaciation of the last British–Irish Ice Sheet on the continental shelf west of Ireland was investigated using multiproxy analyses of sediment and foraminifera data from nine sediment cores. Lithofacies associations record various depositional regimes across the shelf, which evolve from subglacial to postglacial conditions. Census data provide the first characterisation of benthic foraminifera populations across the continental shelf and multivariate analyses reveal three distinct biotopes. Biomineralization within these biotopes is restricted to ≤21 200 cal a bp by four radiocarbon ages. The transition from glacial to postglacial benthic foraminifera populations near the shelf break marks the establishment of productive, nutrient‐rich, ice‐distal conditions at ~20 900 cal a bp; these conditions may also mark the start of favourable conditions for postglacial cold‐water coral growth. Postglacial conditions on the inner shelf were not established until <14 500 cal a bp, suggesting glacial conditions west of Ireland may have persisted into the Bølling–Allerød Interstadial.

中文翻译：

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爱尔兰西部第四纪晚期第四纪环境变化的沉积和有孔虫记录及其对最后英英冰盖的影响

通过对来自九个沉积岩心的沉积物和有孔虫的数据进行多代理分析，研究了爱尔兰西部大陆架上最后一个英－爱尔兰冰原冰消融后的古环境变化。岩相协会记录了整个陆架的各种沉积机制，这些沉积机制从冰下条件演化到冰河后条件。人口普查数据提供了整个大陆架底栖有孔虫种群的第一个特征，多变量分析揭示了三个不同的生物群落。这些生境中的生物矿化限制为≤21200 CAL一个基点在四个放射性碳时代。从陆架断裂附近的冰川底栖有孔虫种群向冰川后转变的过渡标志着在约20900 cal bp的条件下建立了高产，富营养，远离冰的条件；这些条件也可能标志着冰期后冷水珊瑚生长的有利条件的开始。直到<14 500 cal bp时，内陆的冰期条件才得以确立，这表明爱尔兰西部的冰期条件可能一直持续到Bølling-AllerødInterstadial。