HANDY GEOSLICER: A NEW SAMPLING METHOD AND TOOL FOR QUATERNARY STUDIES

We introduce completely new sampling method and tool for Quaternary studies. The tool named Handy Geoslicer enables us to easily extract undisturbed wide thin sections of unconsolidated sediments that allow us to observe sedimentary structure and to collect datable materials. Handy Geoslicer has a very simple structure. It is made of stainless steel and is composed of a sampling box and its shutter. For sampling, we firstly intrude the sampling box vertically down into the ground by using a hammer or body-weight and then its shutter sliding along the thin slits attached to the both sides of the box, and pull out the tool containing samples. Extracted sediments that form a monolith and are surprisingly undisturbed and show almost same features as previously observed on trench walls excavated close to the extraction sites. This method is far more effective than the conventional sampling method such as boring sticks, hand augers and extracted monolith allows us to observe three-dimensional structures of the sediments. The standard Handy Geoslicer extracts samples 10cm long, 3cm thick and 150cm long. When we use a vibrator, we can collect samples as deep as 300cm. We successfully collected samples from alluvial lowlands, sand dunes, tidal flats, swamps and even from lake bottoms. Collected sections can be taken to a laboratory in the sampling box for close examination or can be displayed at a meeting or even stored for future re-examinations. In order to get deeper and wider outcrops by this method, we made a long Geoslicer employing sheet piles commonly used at construction sites as sampling boxes. Although this sampling method is still to be improved for perfect performance, we realize that this is the most practical sampling method to obtain extensive vertical soil sections of the unconsolidated Quaternary sediments.