A Light-Weight Spring-Driven and Hydraulically-Damped Multiple Piston Corer

A light-weight multiple piston corer to meet increasing coring needs in areas where R/V access is limited, is designed and discussed. Hydraulically-damped and spring-driven piston system not only virtually undisturbed surface sediments but also facilitate the recovery and subsequent operation including pore water extraction and core slicing on board the ship. It is designed as compact, light-weight and easy to dissemble that whole gear can be carried by small passenger vehicle yet it permits thick-walled core tube for thermal insulation or large opening core tubes. Because single spring instead of heavy weights of conventional gravity-driven multiple corers is used, this device is very simple and cheap to construct.