Palos Verdes

Gravity core

The gravity core is lowered from the ship to the sea floor. The weight of the weight stand drives the carbon steel barrel into the sea floor. Inside the carbon steel barrel is a clear polybuterate core liner which, when brought back aboard, is pulled out of the carbon steel barrel and capped at both ends. The cores recovered are variable in length depending on the sediment at a particular site.

A core from the gravity core would be less disturbed then a vibracore while still preserving the stratigraphy. The gravity core was used at sites where a mud-like bottom was expected.