The Development of a Sea-Level Database for Ireland

Abstract:Despite a corpus of qualitative relative sea-level (RSL) data from Ireland, there exists a comparative paucity of precise and reliable information concerning changes since the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM). Much of the existing data are disparate in nature, having been produced by a range of studies employing different methodologies and often not specifically concerned with sea-level reconstruction. Consequently, there are large spatial and temporal gaps in our understanding of RSL changes, whilst other data are ambiguous and prone to misinterpretation. This paper presents a new database of sea-level information extracted from existing publications. Data are screened and classified into one of four groups according to their utility as indicators of RSL change. This objective classification, based upon well-established sea-level methodology, permits researchers to readily identify the most reliable trends in the available information, and helps to discriminate potentially erroneous data. The database is freely available on-line and should prove a valuable resource to researchers working in coastal environments around Ireland. It will be updated as new information becomes available, ensuring maximum value is extracted from the collection of new sea-level data and highlighting areas where more work is urgently needed.