II. SAMPLE COLLECTION AND TEST METHODS 



A. CORE COLLECTION 



Thirty-five sediment- cores were collected from eight different areas of the 

 continental shelf, continental slope, and deep-sea floor In the North Atlantic 

 Ocean, West Mediterranean Sea, and central Pacific Ocean (Fig. 1). Relation 

 of cores within each area Is shown In Figure 2. Five cores from Area G had too few 

 strength tests to warrant inclusion in this report; mass physical properties of these, 

 and the other 30 cores, are given elsewhere (Richards, In preparation). 



Table 2 summarizes pertinent information about each core and the corer it was 

 obtained with. In this table, names "Kullenberg corer" (Kullenberg, 1947), 

 "Phleger corer" (Phleger and Parker, 1951, p. 3-5), and "Ewing corer" (Heezen, 

 1952) refer to those types of corers used and described by the Hydrographic Office 

 (1955, p. 54-66). The Hydroplastic corer (Fig. 3), utilizing a barrel made of high- 

 impact grade polyvinyl chloride (PVC) plastic without an Inner liner, was designed 

 at the Hydrographic Office for use in this program (Richards, 1960; Richards and 

 Keller, In press). All corers routinely were used with spring-leaf core catchers. 



Each core studied Is composed predominantly of one sediment type and is 

 classified in Table 2 by means of a mechanical analysis and use of the triangular 

 diagram (Fig. 4) system of nomenclature developed by Shepard (1954). The analyt- 

 ical procedure Is described In the second report. 



Kullenberg and Phleger corers used by the Hydrographic Office have a cellulose 

 acetate butyrate liner for sediment retention that fits inside a metal core barrel . The 

 EwIng corer and the Hydroplastic corer do not have liners, and sediment Is retained 

 In the metal barrel of the former and the PVC plastic barrel of the latter. Loss of 

 sediment interstitial water from metal Is nil and from PVC negligible. Water loss 

 ' through cellulose acetate butyrate can be appreciable (Keller and others. In press). 

 A means of protecting these cores from desiccation was provided while they were 

 stored on the ship and transported to the laboratory. In the beginning part of the 

 program, core liners were packed in wet rags. Later, core liners were coated In a 

 specially constructed wax bath, that allowed the core to remain upright during the 

 coating process (Keller and others. In press), using microcrystallne wax. This wax 

 is somewhat less pervious to water than paraffin and does not readily chip or crack. 

 Most cores were protected against mechanical vibration and shock and were shipped 

 to the laboratory In an upright position. 



Cores longer than 120 to 150 cm (4 to 5 feet) were sectioned by careful sawing 

 prior to shipment. Piston cores D 1 and H 12 were returned to the laboratory In a 



