A high-re
solution record of Holocene deglacial and climate hi
story wa
s obtained from a 77 m
sediment core from the Firth of Tay, Antarctic Penin
sula, a
s part of the SHALDRIL initiative. Thi
s study provide
s a detailed
sedimentological record of Holocene paleoclimate and glacial advance and retreat from the ea
stern
side of the penin
sula. A robu
st chrono
stratigraphy wa
s derived from thirty-three radiocarbon date
s on carbonate material. Thi
s chrono
stratigraphic framework wa
s u
sed to e
stabli
sh the timing of glacial and climate event
s derived from multiple proxie
s including: magnetic
su
sceptibility, electric re
si
stivity, poro
sity, ice-rafted debri
s content, organic carbon content, nitrogen content, biogenic
silica content, and diatom and foraminiferal a
ssemblage
s. The core bottomed-out in a
stiff diamicton interpreted a
s till. Gravelly and
sandy mud above the till i
s interpreted a
s proximal glaciomarine
sediment that repre
sent
s decoupling of the glacier from the
seafloor circa 9400 cal. yr BP and it
s sub
sequent landward retreat. Thi
s wa
s approximately 5000 yr later than in the Bran
sfield Ba
sin and South Shetland I
sland
s, on the we
stern
side of the penin
sula. The Firth of Tay core
site remained in a proximal glaciomarine
setting until 8300 cal. yr BP, at which time
significant glacial retreat took place. Depo
sition of diatomaceou
s glaciomarine
sediment
s after 8300 cal. yr BP indicate
s that an ice
shelf ha
s not exi
sted in the area
since thi
s time.
The onset of seasonally open marine conditions between 7800 and 6000 cal. yr BP followed the deglacial period and is interpreted as the mid-Holocene Climatic Optimum. Open marine conditions lasted until present, with a minor cooling having occurred between 6000 and 4500 cal. yr BP and a period of minor glacial retreat and/or decreased sea ice coverage between 4500 and 3500 cal. yr BP. Finally, climatic cooling and variable sea ice cover occurred from 3500 cal. yr BP to near present and it is interpreted as being part of the Neoglacial. The onset of the Neoglacial appears to have occurred earlier in the Firth of Tay than on the western side of the Antarctic Peninsula. The Medieval Warm Period and Little Ice Age were not pronounced in the Firth of Tay. The breadth and synchroneity of the rapid regional warming and glacial retreat observed in the Antarctic Peninsula during the last century appear to be unprecedented during the Holocene epoch.