FSU Science

Building Sediment Traps

Sediment traps are an oceanographic tool used to collect sinking material from the water column, much like how a rain gauge catches falling water droplets. Previously I’ve described some of the history of the sediment trap (link) as well as how they work (link), but now I’m going to share with you a brief overview how I made them for my latest cruise. If you find yourself making some oceanographic equipment and need a hand, just let me know!

 

The Tools Used

Not shown: a sharpie, ruler and a hand drill.

Steps in Assembly

After all of this, each sediment trap set was oriented and finalized with a set of three index screws, which holds all the central pieces together (can be seen in the photos below). Once assembled, the support pieces and final touches went on and the whole thing was bolted together.

Final Products

And there you have it, a brief overview of how to build a sediment trap. Five copies were made here.

 

 

 

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