"Seafloor Sampling Techniques"

Contents
 Introduction
 Types of samplig devices
 Piston corer
 Gravity corer
 Multicorer
 Box corer
 Chain bag-dredge
 TV-Grab
 Vessel-Mounted(Surface)
 Drilling
 Seabed (subsea) Drilling

 Tools for seafloor imaging

 Homeside
 Video sledge(STROMER)
 Side-scan Sonar
 Introduction

Ocean Floor Sampling Technique

 Ocean floor sampling, may be either
of sediments/mineral assemblages, or
of biogenic forms.
 It is a practice whose immense
importance transcends such disciplines
as Oceanography, Biology,
Paleontology, Mineralogy, Petroleum
and Marine Geology.
The following amongst others, are the aims of ocean floor sampling;
-To study past climates (Paleoclimate), and trends of climatic change, for environmental
prediction.
– To derive information about the Earth, and it’s environmental systems.
– It is applied in choosing sites for undersea drilling projects, seabed communication
cables, and other structures.
-To estimate the impact of geologic events, on the marine systems.
-For study of evolution, of marine organic forms.
-In evaluation of impacts of offshore waste disposal.
-To learn about the habitats of marine biological communities, and the impacts of these
habitats upon organic life.
 Coring technologies

Piston Corer
• What is it and why do we use it?
• The piston corer is a long, heavy tube plunged
into the seafloor to extract samples of mud
sediment.
• A piston inside the tube allows scientists to
capture the longest possible samples, up to 90
feet in length.
• They are simple and elegant in design; in 1947,
scientist Maurice Ewing said that a piston corer
"brings up samples of the ocean floor just as a
housewife cores an apple."
 How a piston corer works
• After being lowered on a wire from the side of a ship,
the piston corer approaches the seafloor preceded by
the small gravity corer.
• Upon contact, the tripping arm "opens," sending the
piston corer on a fast fall to the bottom.
• As the piston corer penetrates the seafloor, the piston
inside stops at the sediment surface.
• The action of the piston creates a pressure differential
at the top of the sediment column. This allows the soft
material to enter the core liner without disruption.
• Within seconds, the process is complete. Crew on the
ship then haul the wire in until the corer is free of the
seafloor. (Illustration by Fritz Heide, Woods Hole
Oceanographic Institution)
 Gravity corer

What is it and why do we use it?

• The gravity corer allows researchers to sample
and study sediment layers at the bottom of lakes
or oceans.
• It got its name because gravity carries it to the
bottom of the water body. Recovering sediment
cores allows scientists to see the presence or
absence of specific fossils in the mud that may
indicate climate patterns at times in the past,
such as during the ice ages.
• Scientists can then use this information to
improve understanding of the climate system
and predict patterns and events in the future.
 GRAVITY CORER Main components

1. Nose cone
2. Core catcher
3. Inner plastic liner
4. Steel core barrel
5. Weights (up to a ton or more)
6. Flap (on gravity corer) or piston
7. Tripping arm (on piston corer)
8. Cable to ship
 How a Gravity corer works

• Gravity corers are so-named because it is

gravity that carries the instrument to the
seafloor.
• The corer consists of a metal pipe with a
removable lining of plastic tubing typically 2-
3 feet in length.
• A heavy weight sits atop the pipes. The core
is lowered over the side of the ship using a
winch and wire rope and is allowed to free fall
into the sediments.
• A core catcher helps trap the sediments in the
tubing and the corer is brought back to the
surface and brought aboard the ship.
 Multicorer

What is Multicorer
• A multicorer is a specialized scientific
instrument used for collecting
undisturbed sediment samples from
the ocean floor or other bodies of
water.
• This tool is particularly valuable in
marine and environmental research,
providing researchers with intact
sediment cores that preserve the
vertical structure of the sediment
layers.
 Main Components Of Multicorer

Frame/Frame Assembly
• Frame/Frame Assembly
• Sample Tubes
Sample Tubes
• Closure Mechanism
• Weighting System
• Release Mechanism Closure Mechanism
• Lifting Mechanism Lifting Mechanism

• Handle/Recovery Line
 How does multicorer works
• Multicorers are lower to the seabed carefully.
Once on the seabed, their landing feet end up
placed well away from the site to be sampled.
• Then arack of short Perspex open tubes, usually
8, are lowered gentlely to the seabed.
• These then penetrate up to 50cm into the
sediment with aid of a weight.
• When the corer is recovered, a sealed cap springs
into place to seal the top of the tube creating a
strong vacuum that retains the collected sediment
and overlying nearseabed water.
• A swing arm then closes the base of the cores
also to keep the
• sample intact on its transit to the sea surface
 Box corer

A box corer, also known as a grab sampler or box corer grab, is a

scientific instrument used for collecting sediment samples from the
ocean floor.
 How does Boxcorer works
• Deployment:
The box corer is lowered from a research vessel to the ocean floor
using a cable or winch system.
• Penetration:
As the box corer descends, the hinged boxes with cutting edges on their
bottom edges penetrate the sediment.
• Sample Enclosure:
Once the box corer reaches the ocean floor, the hinged boxes are open
at the top, allowing sediment to enter and fill the containers.
• Triggered Closure:
Upon commencement of the corer's ascent, a trigger mechanism is
activated.
• Analysis:
Upon retrieval, the sediment sample can be carefully extricated from
the closed boxes.
 Chain Bag Dredge
A chain bag dredge is a type of dredging
equipment used for the extraction of
sediments, such as sand, silt, or gravel, from
the bottom of bodies of water.
Application:
Collection of rock samples from the seabed
Features / Benefits:
Designed to wash out unconsolidated
sediments from
collection area
Four optional sediment collection tubes can be
attached
Safety mechanism in place for dislodging of
dredge
and recovery
 Chain Bag Dredge Mechanisms

There are two methods of dredging:

 Mechanical excavating:
• Mechanical excavating is applied to cohesive
soils.
• The dredged material is excavated and
removed using mechanical means such as
grabs, buckets, cutter heads or scoops.
Hydraulic excavating:
• Hydraulic excavating is done with special
water jests in cohesionless soils such as silt,
sand and gravel. T
• he dredged material which has been
loosened from the sea-bed is sucked up and
transported further as a mixture (solid
material and water) using centrifugal pumps.
 TV Grab
The instrument is used to collect loose or soft rocks
or even biological material and is controlled via a
TV camera which allows observation of the
seafloor
Application:
 The grab is used to collect loose or soft rocks or
even biological material and via a TV camera.
 you can observe the seafloor and the selection
of a suitable sampling target.
 Two powerful batteries, mounted on the grab,
provides power for the lights and for closing the
grab.
 Components of Tv Grab
Dimensions and weight
 Rack with grab: L x W x H: 185 x 185 x 215 cm,
spikes +15 cm
 Rack with grab, incl. steering fin: L x W x H: 282 x
185 x 230 cm Sample volume

 Rack for trolley: L x W x H: 185 x 185 x 55 cm

Sample volume:
 The grab has a sampling volume of 200 L approx.,
corresponding to 500 kg at a density of 2,5 g/cm³.
The trolley: The trolley

The trolley is made of AISI 316 stainless steel and it

has a content of 400 L.
Support for lead weights:
The rack has four bases supporting extra lead Support for lead weights

weights.
 How does Tv Grab works

 The TV Grab is rated for a depth of 6000

m and includes camera with live view and
lights.
 Standard delivery does not include any
optical cable for the winch or
interface/multiplexer or similar for the
video camera.
 Standard delivery also comes with the
lower rack and the trolley for removal of
the sediment sample.
 Vessel Mounted (surface ) Drilling
 Vessel-mounted surface drilling refers to a
method of drilling for various purposes, such
as oil and gas exploration, geotechnical
investigations, or scientific research, where
the drilling equipment is mounted on a vessel
or a floating platform on the water's surface.
Vessel-mounted surface drilling include
 Floating Platform or Vessel
 Offshore Exploration
 Geotechnical Investigations
 Dynamic Positioning
 Drilling Equipment
 Water Depth Considerations
 Safety and Environmental Concerns
 Vessel Mounted (surface ) Drilling Mechanisms

 Floating rigs include drill ships and

semisubmersibles. Generally, oil companies
most often use drill ships to drill wells in the
deep, remote waters of the world.
 Semisubmersibles can drill in seas too rough
for drill ships.
 Drill ships have a ship-shaped hull that allows
the drilling contractor (the rig owner that the oil
company hires to drill) to store a large amount
of supplies and equipment on board the vessel.
 Thus, a drill ship can stock up in port, sail to the
drilling location, and drill for long periods
without being restocked.
 Seabed (subsea) Drilling works
 Seabed or subsea drilling refers to the
process of drilling wells on the ocean
floor to extract hydrocarbons (oil and
gas), obtain core samples for
geotechnical purposes, or for scientific
research.
 Subsea drilling operations are a crucial
component of offshore oil and gas
exploration and production.
Seabed (subsea) Drilling Included
 Subsea Wellhead
 Drilling Rig or Vessel
 Blowout Preventer (BOP)
 Drill String
 ROV (Remotely Operated Vehicle)
Types of Seabed (subsea) Drilling
 How does Seabed (subsea) Drilling works

 Seabed drill CRD-100 (Unicorn-I).

 It has 3000 m operating depth and
maximum 65 m drill depth.
 Illustration is modified from the
photo provided by Fukada Salvage
& Marine works CO.
Seabed (subsea) Drilling working procedure are given step by step

Seabed drill system.

A. multi-purposed vehicle
(M/V) Shincho Maru
(mother ship),

B. launch and recovery

system(LARS) with
seabed drill,

C. control van and

generator.
 Tools for seafloor imaging
Various tools and technologies are employed for
seafloor imaging to explore and study the ocean floor.
These tools help scientists and researchers gather
valuable information about geological features,
biological communities, and environmental
conditions. Here are some common tools used for
seafloor imaging
1. HOMESIDE (Deep-towed Multibeam Echo
Sounder System)
2. Video sledge STROMER
3. Side-scan Sonar
 HOMESIDE (Deep-towed Multibeam Echo Sounder System)

HOMESIDE (German abbr. for

“HOchauflösendes Multibeam-Echolot,
SIDEscan-Depressor”) is a deep-towed
(down to 6000 m, towed 5 m to 250 m
above the seafloor),
high-resolution multibeam echo-sounder
system, based on a Kongsberg model EM
2040 0.7° x 0.7° single RX echo sounder,
which can be used for high/very high
resolution (< 1 m) deep seafloor mapping.
It is relatively small and easy to handle, even
from smaller research vessels. The acquired
data are transmitted ‘online’ through an
electrical and single-mode optical fiber tow
wire.
 HOMESIDE Continue
 HOMESIDE is equipped with a
Conductivity/Temperature/Depth (CTD) and sound velocity
sensor as well as an inertial navigation system (INS), which is
aided by a Doppler velocity log (DVL) and/or an ultra-short
baseline (USBL) positioning system.
 Online SD/HD-video and obstacle avoidance sonar are
possible options to allow operation a few meters above the
seafloor for very high resolution mapping.
 Video Sledge STROMER

The multi-functional video sledge STROMER (German

abbr. for „Simpler TauchROboter, Multifunktional
ERweiterbar“) is a remotely operated, deep-towed
vehicle for deep seafloor exploration (down to 6000 m
depth) using e.g. online SD/HD-videos, a remotely
operated still camera with flash, sonar, and several
sensors for the collection of physical and chemical
parameter data of bottom waters.
 Side-scan Sonar
What is a side scan sonar?
A sidescan sonar is a sonar that is hung on the sides of
ships, hence the name. It can also be attached under
ships or separately. This sonar takes images of the
bottom of the sea, rivers or lakes. These are images that
are therefore taken from above.
Uses of side-scan Sonar
 Side-scan sonar may be used to conduct surveys for
marine archaeology; in conjunction with seafloor
samples
 It is able to provide an understanding of the
differences in material and texture type of the
seabed.
 Side-scan sonar imagery is also a commonly used
tool to detect debris items and other obstructions on
the seafloor that may be hazardous to shipping or to
seafloor installations by the oil and gas industry.
 Principle Side-scan sonar

 Side-scan sonars emit conical or fan-shaped pulses across a wide angle

 perpendicular to the path of their towed sensors (‘towfish’).
 The received signals create a
 detailed image of the reflectivity of the sea floor (“sonograph”) and its
anomalies within the
 swath (coverage width) of the beam.
 The reflectivity of the seafloor depends on its roughness
 and the nature of the topmost material: coarse-grain sediments display
higher reflectivity than
 fine-grain deposits, rocky outcrops reflect higher than sediments, etc.
 How does it work?
 As the ship moves along its path, the transducer array
sends out signals on both of its sides, sweeping the
seafloor like the fan-shaped beam of a flashlight.
 The towfish will record data at different sound
frequencies, depending on the survey goals: a lower
frequency (50 kilohertz (kHz) -100 kHz) can cover
large swathes of the seafloor at low image resolution.
 Higher-frequency pulses (500 kHz to 1 megahertz)
record smaller areas but in much greater detail.
 The resulting “picture” from side-scan sonar data is
made up of dark and light areas.
 Hard objects protruding from the bottom send a strong
echo and create a dark image. Shadows and soft
areas, such as mud and sand, send weaker echoes
and create light areas. These dark and light images
help scientists create accurate maps of the seafloor.
 Basic features of Side-scan sonar

 Side-scan sonars are very useful for

mapping archaeological features that are
visible on or above the bottom (wrecks,
exposed pole and rock structures, etc.)
 They areunable to penetrate the
sediments and can therefore only provide
information about the exposed surface of
the sea floor.
 Normally frequencies between 100 and
1000 kHz are used.
 Resolution and horizontal precision

 Higher frequencies yield better across track

resolution (perpendicular to the direction of
movement) but involve a narrower swath.
 Depending on the frequency of the emitting
signal, a resolution of up to a few
centimetres can be achieved.
 Along track resolution (parallel to the
direction of movement) depends on the
cruising speed and the triggering rate of the
emitted signal.
 Slow cruising speed and high triggering
rates enable higher resolution along track.
 Uses Platforms of Side-scan sonar
 Side-scan sonars can be operated from small vessels in water
depths down to
 about 2 m.
 The fish can either be towed behind the ship or fixated at the bow.
 The latter has the advantage that it is out of the bubbles of the
propeller and the GPS antenna can be placeddirectly above it,
which can provide better recordings with more precise positioning.
Advantages & Disadvantages of Side-scan sonar
Advantages:
- High resolving detail
- Can be operated from very small vessels
- Can be used in very shallow water
- Small objects (dm range) can be detected
Disadvantages:
- No penetration below the seabed
- No precise geo-referencing
- Not suited for detection of most Stone Age sites
- No 3D bathymetry
THANK YOU