Palaeoclimatology and palaeohydrography of the glacial stages on Celtic and Armorican margins over the last 360 000 yrs M. Mojtahid a,1 , F. Eynaud a, * , S. Zaragosi a , J. Scourse b , J.-F. Bourillet c , T. Garlan d a De ´partement Ge ´ologie et Oce ´anographie, UMR-CNRS bEPOC Q 5805, Universite ´ Bordeaux I, Avenue des Faculte ´s, F-33405 Talence, France b School of Ocean Sciences, University of Wales (Bangor), Menai Bridge, Anglesey, LL59 5EY, UK c IFREMER, De ´partement Ge ´osciences Marines, Laboratoire Environnements Se ´dimentaires, BP 70- 29280 Plouzane ´, France d EPSHOM, 13, rue du Chatellier- BP 30316- 29603 BREST Cedex, France Received 14 February 2005; received in revised form 19 July 2005; accepted 21 July 2005 Abstract Core MD03-2692 was retrieved in a water-depth of 4064 m on the Celtic margin (Bay of Biscay) during the SEDICAR cruise onboard the RV Marion Dufresne II . It covers the last 360 ka in a total length of 39 m. Multidisciplinary analyses have been applied to this sequence with the aim of studying the palaeoclimatic and palaeoenvironmental signals of the last few climatic cycles. The analyses undertaken include: (1) non-destructive logging with: physical properties (magnetic susceptibility, sediment colour), X-ray radiography and measurement of the major elements by X-ray-fluorescence, (2) analyses of planktonic and benthic foraminifera, lithic grains and stable isotopic measurements (oxygen and carbon). We have focused on the long- term evolution of glacial stages (with special attention to terminations and Heinrich events). The results obtained confirm the close correlation between deep-sea sedimentation recorded on the Celtic margin and changes in the terrestrial environment of the adjacent continent. Heinrich layers have been identified in MIS 2, 3, 6 and 8. We note the occurrence of laminated facies within deglacial sequences deposited during Termination I and MIS 6. These facies are closely linked to disintegration phases of the British–Irish Ice Sheet (BIS). The laminations contain lower ice-rafted detritus (IRD) concentrations than the equivalent Heinrich layers and are linked to abrupt changes in sea-surface palaeotemperatures. We suggest that the laminations are formed by an annual cycle of meltwater and iceberg release from the disintegrating BIS generating cascading plumes of dense turbid meltwater coeval with IRD release. D 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved. Keywords: Celtic margin; glacial terminations; British–Irish Ice Sheet; laminated sediments 0025-3227/$ - see front matter D 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved. doi:10.1016/j.margeo.2005.07.007 * Corresponding author. E-mail addresses: mojtahid.meryem@caramail.com (M. Mojtahid), f.eynaud@epoc.u-bordeaux1.fr (F. Eynaud), s.zaragosi@epoc.u-bordeaux1.fr (S. Zaragosi), j.scourse@bangor.ac.uk (J. Scourse), jfb@ifremer.fr (J.-F. Bourillet), garlan@shom.fr (T. Garlan). 1 Now at: Laboratory for the Study of Recent and Fossil bio-indicators, CNRS UPRES EA 2644, Angers University, 2 Boulevard Lavoisier, 49045 Angers Cedex, France. Marine Geology 224 (2005) 57 – 82 www.elsevier.com/locate/margeo