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The rail-cutter: a simple, cheap and compact system for opening sediment cores in the lab and field

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Abstract

Sediment cores are important archives for paleolimnological, paleooceanographic and paleoecological research. Rigs for splitting lake sediment cores that have been collected in PVC or polycarbonate tubes are often large, bulky, and require a permanent setup that takes up valuable laboratory space. Here we describe a new, compact, cost-effective apparatus for splitting sediment cores collected in PVC or polycarbonate tubing. This portable setup is relatively simple to construct and use, and is ideal for use in the laboratory, in the field, or on board research vessels at sea.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Landcare Research, PO Box 69040, Lincoln, 7640, New Zealand

    Graeme N. D. Rogers

  2. Long-term Ecology Lab, Landcare Research, PO Box 69040, Lincoln, 7640, New Zealand

    Karen I. Bonner, Jamie R. Wood & Janet M. Wilmshurst

  3. School of Environment, The University of Auckland, Private Bag 92019, Auckland, 1142, New Zealand

    Janet M. Wilmshurst

Authors
  1. Graeme N. D. Rogers
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  2. Karen I. Bonner
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  3. Jamie R. Wood
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  4. Janet M. Wilmshurst
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Correspondence to Janet M. Wilmshurst.

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Rogers, G.N.D., Bonner, K.I., Wood, J.R. et al. The rail-cutter: a simple, cheap and compact system for opening sediment cores in the lab and field. J Paleolimnol 53, 433–436 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10933-015-9830-x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10933-015-9830-x

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