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Coastal and Marine Geology Program
Woods Hole Field Center

Geochemical Sediment Analysis Procedures, Open-File Report 02-371

CORE PREPARATION

CORE PREPARATION FOR SECTIONING
Materials Required:
  • Piston
  • Utility Knife
  • Tape
  • Gloves
  • Siphoning System (not shown)
  • Spatula
Core sectioning materials

Remove tape from the top cap of the core.

Use the spatula to vent the core tube while removing the cap.

 Remove tape and vent cap

Siphon off overlying water.

Siphon off the overlying water; link to larger image
Be careful not to siphon out any sediment. Close up of siphoning; link to larger image
Retape the top cap onto the core tube. Retape the cap after siphoning
Remove the tape from the bottom cap. Remove tape from bottom cap
Using the utility knife, make two vertical cuts on opposite sides of the bottom end cap. Make verticle cut on bottom cap; link to larger image
Using the utility knife, make a horizontal cut along the bottom edge of the end cap, connecting the two vertical cuts. Make a horizontal cut along cap bottom; link to larger image
Detach 1/2 of the cap (the section without the bottom attached). Remove the section without the bottom; link to larger image

Place a patch of tape over the hole on the face of the piston.

Slide the core and end cap onto the piston.

Use an o-ring on the piston for muddy cores.
*Do not use an o-ring for sandy cores*.

 Slide core barrel over piston; link to larger image
Slide out the remaining portion of the end cap. Remove rest of core cap; link to larger image
Press downward on the core barrel until the piston is all the way inside the core barrel. Pushing core barrel until piston is in; link to larger image
Mount the core barrel in the clamp of the extruder stand. Mounting core barrel in clamp; link to larger image
Close the clamp, but do not tighten. Closing the clamp; link to larger image

Press downward on the core barrel until the sediment is almost at the top edge.

Tighten the clamp.

 Pushing core barrel down onto extruder; link to larger image

 

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