I. Pre-Expedition
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Lab orientation/Introduction
- Provide training to all Chemistry scientists on instrument operation, sample preparation and data upload/download procedures.Provide safety tour to all scientists working in the Chemistry/MBIO area. Ensure scientists understand all safety concerns and that they sign the required documents.Give an orientation/safety procedures tour of the lab to the Chemists
- Provide training to all chemistry scientists on instrument operation, sample preparation and data upload/download procedures.
- Meet with Chemists chemistry scientists and find out their general goals and specific requests. If there are Microbiologists microbiologists sailing, make sure that these same protocols are done with them.
- Divide up responsibilities among the Chemists for all shipboard analyses. Follow up during coring operation operations to make sure all analyses are done and done correctly
- Have a meeting with the Chemists/Curator/SAC (Sample Allocation Committee) to go through sample plans.
- Prepare sampling equipment and sample storage containers. Wash any necessary containers and prepare spikes if needed.
- Prepare SampleMaster split template (water and squeeze cake splits).
- Show how to print sample labels.
- Go over all SDS sheets before working with any chemicals. Understand the risks of handling chemicals, especially if any hazardous chemicals will be used.
- Print out the most recent copy of each instrument's User Guide so the Scientists scientists can become familiar with each instrument's operation.
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- Take a 5 cc headspace sample from every sediment core (non-basement), at the top of a section (try to be consistent). This sample is taken until the total depth objective is met. If doing multiple holes, you do not have to repeat the sampling if a headspace sample has already been taken at that depth but just continue after the prior hole's bottom depth.
- For cores with IW samples, always take the headspace sample adjacent to IW, best from the top of the section immediately below the IW sample. Note the core, section and interval of the headspace sample and write it on the headspace vial. The interval will be entered into SampleMaster by the Curator/ALO.
- Make sure nobody sprays acetone on the catwalk before sampling is completed. Acetone will contaminate the sample.
- It is recommended to occasionally take a sample of the air on the core deck, so that any change in the headspace sample analysis can be correlated to changes in volatilized acetone.
- Inject a standard (corresponding to concentrations seen in the recent cores) every fifty injections or so, to check on the instrument calibration.
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- Set the pressure to 3000 lbs and simultaneously push and hold both green (CLOSE) buttons on the hydraulic unit's base until the auto-pressure engages.
- After the first drops flow from the hole in the squeezer's base plate, insert the syringe into the hole. Keep an eye on the syringe to make sure the pressure doesn't push out the syringe or plunger (especially for the first few cores). Keep incrementing the hydraulic unit pressure in steps of 1000 lbs until 10000 lbs; after 10000 lbs, increase in steps of 2000. Do not ever increase the pressure above 30000 lbs.
- Select the correct core, section and sample in SampleMaster. Upload the IW sample splits (using the Excel template) into SampleMaster and distribute the labels.
- When porewater yield is sufficient/no more water is trickling, release the hydraulic unit pressure by pressing the red OPEN button and remove the syringe from the squeezer.
- Start sample distribution (splits).
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