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In the UK, a combination of outcrop mapping, satellite digital elevation models, high-resolution marine geophysical data and a range of dating techniques have constrained the maximum limit and overall retreat behaviour of the British and Irish Ice Sheet (BIIS). The changing styles of deglaciation have been most extensively studied in the west and north-western sectors of the BIIS, primarily using offshore geophysical surveys. The surviving record in the southern, terrestrial sector is fragmentary, permitting only large-scale (tens of kilometres) and longer timescale ( c. 1 ka) reconstructions of ice-margin movement, with limited information on deglacial processes. Here we present a high-resolution study of the retreat behaviour for a section of the southern ice-margin from Windermere in the Lake District, using high-resolution two-dimensional multi-channel seismic data, processed using prestack depth migration. By combining the seismic stratigraphy with landform morphologies, extant cores and seismic velocity measurements, we are able to distinguish between: over-consolidated till; recessional moraines; De Geer moraines; flowed till/ice-front fan; supra-/en-glacial melt-out till; and subsequent glaciolacustrine/lacustrine sedimentation. The results reveal a complex and active valley glacier withdrawal from Windermere that changed character between basins and produced two small, localized areas of ice-stagnation and downwasting. This study indicates that similar active ice-margin retreats probably took place in other valleys of the Lake District during the Late Devensian deglaciation rather than the previously held view of rapid ice-stagnation and downwasting. When combined with the regional terrestrial record, this supports a model of early ice loss in terrestrial England compared with other parts of the UK. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present the first oxygen isotope measurements from Kongsfjorden in north-west Spitsbergen, and use the isotopic composition and hydrographic data to provide a detailed assessment of the mixing between freshwater and oceanic waters. Temperature, salinity(s) and oxygen isotope profiles are used to describe the seasonal evolution of hydrography in the inner part of the fjord, and to infer the dominant mixing and exchange processes. Data from atmospheric, glacial and marine sources throughout Kongsfjorden are used to construct a salinity: δ18O mixing line in a region that receives inputs of freshwater and marine Atlantic water. The dominant source of freshwater is glacial melt from a tidewater glacier complex at the head of the fjord, resulting in a seawater salinity: δ18O relationship where δ18O = 0.43S − 14.65. The Kongsfjorden data provides a northern latitudinal limit for mixing lines in the north-western European coastal system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The British Ocean Sediment Core Research Facility (BOSCORF) provides long-term curation and archiving of sediment cores collected by the UK's geoscience community. The collection consists of 8,900 m of core composed of 2,400 individual marine sediment cores and is stored at a dedicated facility at the National Oceanography Centre (NOC). BOSCORF has taken an increasingly active role in geoscience outreach at a multitude of scales. The repository forms an essential component of formal visitor tours to the NOC. Annually hosting educational sessions for high-school students, engages with regionally active geological interest groups and recently, participating in large scale public science events. BOSCORF has utilised the recent NERC funded project: the Arctic Landslide Tsunami Project, and developed an activity that can be adapted to the needs of specific audiences. The activity focusses on the Storegga Slides, and the history of tsunamis and volcanic eruptions to have affected the UK. To appeal to a wide range of audiences, this outreach activity places emphasis on constructivist learning, relating complex scientific concepts such as sedimentation rates, tephrochronology and turbidites to recent examples of volcanic eruptions and tsunamis. Using a sediment core as a visual guide, participants are guided through a history of geohazards, and given a range of statistics and facts relating to the visible event in the sediment core (e.g. Holocene tephra). This information is then compared with a similar event occurring today (e.g. 48 x the size of the Eyjafjallajökull eruption). The focus is on risk to UK populations which leads a targeted discussion on hazard mitigation, policy and future research, and the role that BOSCORF has in achieving these goals. In addition, a range of unique and varied peripheral activities have been included to interest stakeholders from varied backgrounds. These have included 3D printed foraminifera, peat cores containing tsunami deposits and a "tsunami" generator in a paddling pool. The use of a currently research-active scientific resource does present some challenges for BOSCORF, but through collaboration with the NOC Communications department, these issues have been managed, and this resource should be available for several years.The "storytelling" approach, using a deep marine sediment core as a timeline to frame a complex problem, captures the imagination of those who engage with the activity. A focus on training staff to encourage the participant to reflect on their new knowledge (tsunamis in the UK) and develop this interest through guided questioning (where could this happen, why could this happen, how can you tell this happened), is essential to avoiding the feeling of being "lectured at" by a scientist. This approach helps to make participants feel involved, and to understand why facilities such as BOSCORF exist, why they are tax-payer funded and the relevance of the science. It is also essential to ensure an understanding of the limitations of the science is effectively communicated, and that they will encounter research similar to this in the press, and to think critically about how it is reported. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]