An Improved Motorized Corer and Sample Processing System for Frozen Peat

Abstract

An improved corer and associated equipment for obtaining continuous samples of frozen peat are described. We developed the system through laboratory and field trials - on Bathurst Island, Nunavut, Canada in 2000 and Nordvestø, Carey Islands, Greenland, in 2001 - as part of efforts to collect continuous samples of Arctic peat cores for an environmental archive of heavy metal and persistent organic pollutants. A new system for precise slicing of frozen peat cores and accurate volumetric sub-sampling of slices is also described and illustrated, since pre-analytical preparation of the cores is important for accurate trace analyses, as well as for determination of net accumulation rates. The coring system is portable, weighing 26 kg with no fuel, motor, or samples. The system is designed for Arctic use. It recovers continuous cores up to 10 m below surface in sections 70 cm long and 9.7 cm in diameter, with a cutting head robust enough to penetrate slightly below the organics to probe the substrate. It takes a two-man team approximately 15 minutes per section for sampling and packing. The coring system costs about US $8000 in parts and labor, plus the cost of the motor. Its adaptability will make it useful for recovering a broad range of Quaternary materials frozen in the Arctic.