Seafloor Sediment and Rock Sampling

Abstract

There are a variety of methodologies to obtain seafloor sediment and rock samples, and deciding which one to use depends on the scientific question being addressed, the type of seafloor material being targeted, what the vessel can support and finally the cost. Nowadays, any type of seafloor can be sampled, no matter how soft or hard or inhospitable and technological advances, largely driven by the hydrocarbon industry, continuously allow us to go deeper and deeper into the sub-seafloor and, by definition, into geological time.