INTRODUCTION 
A large collection of deep sea sediment cores has been brought to- 
gether at the core laboratory of Lamont Geological Observatory, Columbia 
University. There are over 700 piston cores, 350 trigger-weight cores, 
and 250 camera cores. The total length of the cores is more than 2400 
meters (7870 ft.), individual lengths varying from less than a meter (3 ft. ) 
to 13 meters (42 ft.). The majority of the cores are raised from a depth of 
more than 2000 meters (1100 fms.) and some from such a great depth as 
7970 meters (4360 fms.), The cores are obtained from all over the Atlantic 
-- from the northern part of Greenland Sea to south of the Tropic of Capri- 
corn and from the Eastern Mediterranean to the western part of the Gulf of 
Mexico. Figure 1 shows the majority of core stations, 
In addition to the collection of sediment cores there are about 100 
dredge samples with a total weight of over 2 tons. 
The core collection is unique in several aspects. 
The cores have not been obtained at random during a single cruise. 
They are the product of 37 cruises* made at frequent intervals over the past 
six years. Therefore most of the cores have been raised with full benefit 
of the knowledge of local submarine topography acquired on earlier cruises. 
Several series of cores have been obtained particularly to test specific 
theories in regions known through previous coring to be critical. 
*The greatest number of cruises were carried out by Drs. M. Ewing, J: L. 
Worzel, and B.C. Heezen and their co-werkers and were supported by ccn- 
tracts with the Cffice cf Naval Research and the Pureau of Ships, U.S. Navy. 
Three cruises were sponsored by the Natioral Geographic Society, the Woous 
Hole Cceanographic Inctitution, and Colurasia University. From 13 cruises 
carried out by U.S. Navy Hydrographic Office 92 piston cores and 21 trigger- 
weight and camera cores have been obtained. 
