Portable Sound Velocimeter and Its Application on Unopened Marine Sediment Cores, Liquids, and Solids

A sediment velocimeter for use on core samples in the core liner is described. The instrument is clamped around the core liner and measures the transit time of a compressional wave pulse through the liner and enclosed sample. In contrast to other core-sample velocimeters, the diameter of the core liner is determined simultaneously as part of the measurement by a micrometer. The pulse is transmitted through the liner in radial direction without using a coupling liquid. Calibration is obtained by utilizing the known sound velocity of distilled and degassed water. The weight of the instrument is 10 lbs, including electronic equipment and batteries, but exclusive of an oscilloscope, and was designed and fabricated at the Ling-Temco-Vought Research Center, Hawaiian Division, Honolulu, Hawaii. Accuracy of velocity measurements is better than ±1 percent.