A NEW METHOD FOR COLLECTING CORE SAMPLES WITHOUT A DRILLING RIG

A new piston sampler allows the collection of high-quality core samples from sand, silt or clay, up to depths of 18 meters. The sampler is operated by a one- or two-person crew without a drilling rig. The sampler and ancillary equipment fit easily into a half-ton truck, making this a highly portable sampling system. Other advantages include minimal mechanical disturbance and precisely known sample depth. Casing is not required to maintain an open corehole below the water table and drilling fluid is not used in the corehole, so the solids and pore water of the sample should not be contaminated by foreign fluids. High-quality samples for physical, geochemical, and microbiological characterization of the subsurface are easily obtained with this new device.