U.S. Department of the InteriorU.S. Geological Survey

Coastal & Marine GeologyCore Labs and Sample Storage Facilities

Menlo Park, California

Menlo Park Core & Sed Lab Facilities

· Core Lab

· Refrigerated Core Storage Facilities· Menlo Park Campus: >900 sq. ft. (~33’ x 30’)

· Menlo Park Warehouse: 3200 sq. ft. (40’ x 80’)

· X-ray Lab

· Core Logger

· Sediment Labs (5 labs)

Menlo Park Campus

Refrigerated Core Storage

Bins

Cores

Menlo Park Campus

· >900 sq. ft.

· primarily “active” cores

· various grab and other samples

Menlo Park Campus Core Lab

· Split, describe, photograph, & subsample cores

· Analyze x-radiographs

Menlo Park Campus Core Lab

· Describe, photograph, & subsample cores

· Digital logging software

Core Logger

· Two GeoTek systems

· Non-destructive physical properties

· Use in lab or field

· Magnetic susceptibility, velocity, density, electrical resistivity, & photography

· For future: x-ray

Core X-Radiography

· Faxitron Microfocus system

· Handles up to 1.5 m core

· Portable Medisson/Ancona Veterinarian X-ray

· Use in lab or field (at sea)

Core X-Radiography

Core X-Radiography

· HP/Faxitron system

· Manual or auto exposure

· Beryllium window

· Great for coral, rock, & core slabs

Core X-Radiography

· AFP automated x-ray film processor

· Handles sheets up to 1 m

· Radiograph can be scanned into digital format

Menlo Park Warehouse

Core facility

Menlo Park Warehouse

Palletized Storage

Cores Cores

Cores Cores

CoresCores

Cores Cores

3200 sq. ft.

Menlo Park Warehouse

Strutshelving10’ tall

Menlo Park Warehouse

Palletized storage

Menlo Park Accomplishments

· Move of core collection to new facility

· Reorganization of core and sample collection

· Update of online database (InfoBank)

http://walrus.wr.usgs.gov

UPDATES SINCE 2007

· Google Earth/Maps capability added to InfoBank

· Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (MBARI) collaboration· Recently signed MOU

· Acquired core collection

· Refrigerated/non-refrigerated samples

· Primarily from Monterey Bay

· WCMG facilities ~80% full

· Part-time curator