A simple and robust procedure for coring unconsolidated sediment in shallow water

摘要

This article describes a simple, quick, and inexpensive procedure for coring unconsolidated sediment in shallow water (<30 m from water surface). A ～1 m core is retrieved by a PVC pipe that penetrates sediment in response to the percussive force of a hand-operated hammering tool or air hammer. After retrieving the first core segment, a casing is inserted to allow access to deeper sediment layers. Pulverized sediment produced during coring is removed by a water-lubrication system that is powered by an electric pump attached to a generator. Using this system and procedure, five 2-m-long cores with excellent quality were retrieved.