PREPARATION AND STORING OF THE CORES 
As soon as the cores arrive at the laboratory they are unpacked, 
extruded, split, photographed, labelled, sampled, and stored, From all 
the cores samples are taken for preliminary rmhicroscopic investigation, 
and from some cores samples are taken for density determinations, sound 
velocity measurements, he determinations, paleo-temperature determin- 
ations by the oxygen isotope method, CaCO3 determinations, and other 
chemical analyses. 
For the preliminary microscopic investigation 8 gm samples 
are taken from a quarter section of each core at 10 cm intervals down to 
50 cm. Below 50 cm, samples are taken wherever there are changes in 
type of sediment. In cores of uniform lithology samples below 50 cm. 
are taken every 50 cm. The sampies are dried, weighed, and washed on 
a 74 micren sieve. The fractions retained on the sieve are dried, 
weighed, and the percentage ci matevial coarser than 74 microns is 
calculated. The coarse fractions so obtained are examined and then 
stored in vials for future research work. 
Halves of the piston cores which are 21/2 in. in diameter 
are stored in rectangular 8 ft. -long metal trays. The quarter sections 
from which the first sampling is made are stored in cardboard boxes. 
In order to preserve a part of the cores in the original condition, quar- 
ters of the piston cores are stored in glass tubes. Formaldehyde is 
then dropped into the tubes to prevent moulding and the tubes are sealed 
with rubber stoppers. 
