Sediment Core Extrusion Method at Millimeter Resolution Using a Calibrated, Threaded-rod

Authors

Patrick Schwing, University of South FloridaFollow
Isabel C. Romero, University of South FloridaFollow
Rebekka A Larson, Eckerd College
Bryan J. O'Malley, University of South FloridaFollow
Erika E Fridrik, University of South Florida
Ethan Goddard, University of South FloridaFollow
Gregg R Brooks, Eckerd College
David Hastings, Eckerd College
Brad Rosenheim, University of South FloridaFollow
David Hollander, University of South FloridaFollow
Guy Grant, University of South FloridaFollow
Jim Mulhollan, University of South FloridaFollow

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

8-17-2016

Keywords

Environmental Monitoring, Geologic Sediments, Water Pollutants, Chemical

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

https://doi.org/10.3791/54363

Abstract

Aquatic sediment core subsampling is commonly performed at cm or half-cm resolution. Depending on the sedimentation rate and depositional environment, this resolution provides records at the annual to decadal scale, at best. An extrusion method, using a calibrated, threaded-rod is presented here, which allows for millimeter-scale subsampling of aquatic sediment cores of varying diameters. Millimeter scale subsampling allows for sub-annual to monthly analysis of the sedimentary record, an order of magnitude higher than typical sampling schemes. The extruder consists of a 2 m aluminum frame and base, two core tube clamps, a threaded-rod, and a 1 m piston. The sediment core is placed above the piston and clamped to the frame. An acrylic sampling collar is affixed to the upper 5 cm of the core tube and provides a platform from which to extract sub-samples. The piston is rotated around the threaded-rod at calibrated intervals and gently pushes the sediment out the top of the core tube. The sediment is then isolated into the sampling collar and placed into an appropriate sampling vessel (e.g., jar or bag). This method also preserves the unconsolidated samples (i.e., high pore water content) at the surface, providing a consistent sampling volume. This mm scale extrusion method was applied to cores collected in the northern Gulf of Mexico following the Deepwater Horizon submarine oil release. Evidence suggests that it is necessary to sample at the mm scale to fully characterize events that occur on the monthly time-scale for continental slope sediments.

Comments

Data used in this article are available for download.

Hydrocarbons in deep-sea sediments following the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Northeast Gulf of Mexico

Trace metals and minor elements in Northern Gulf of Mexico Sediments baseline and following the DWH oil spill, Jan 2009, May 2010, and August 2010 to 2013

Benthic Foraminifera Abundance, Stable Isotopes, Desoto Canyon Sediments, 2010-2012

Rights Information

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 License.

Was this content written or created while at USF?

Yes

Citation / Publisher Attribution

Journal of Visualized Experiments, issue 114, art. e54363

Scholar Commons Citation

Schwing, Patrick; Romero, Isabel C.; Larson, Rebekka A; O'Malley, Bryan J.; Fridrik, Erika E; Goddard, Ethan; Brooks, Gregg R; Hastings, David; Rosenheim, Brad; Hollander, David; Grant, Guy; and Mulhollan, Jim, "Sediment Core Extrusion Method at Millimeter Resolution Using a Calibrated, Threaded-rod" (2016). Marine Science Faculty Publications. 438.
https://digitalcommons.usf.edu/msc_facpub/438