Gravity Corer

This figure shows a schematic diagram of a gravity corer in operation. The corer’s weight is sufficient to penetrate into the sediment to a depth of approximately 2 m. Flexible metal leaves on the bottom of the corer are pushed aside by the sediment, allowing it to enter the corer. The leaves bend back and hold the core sample in place as it is hauled back to the surface. With the possible exception of sediment at the surface, which may experience mixing, samples collected with a corer maintain their vertical profile, preserving information about how the sediment’s composition changes with depth.