The GEOMAR core and rock repositories hold an extensive collection of marine sediment cores and rock samples.
The majority of the samples is collected during ship expeditions to the world’s oceans. The oldest cores of the collection are taken in 1964 in the coastal region of Egypt. Land samples come from Germany, France, central and southern Americas, Iceland, Canary Islands, Kamtchatka, Namibia and from land expeditions affiliated to ship expeditions.
Information about the sample material, including meta data, is provided via the data bases OSIS and PANGAEA for further research. The sample collection is available to the international research community, subject to current research projects. Please direct sample requests to the curator. Details about how to store samples can be found on the intranet pages (Storage of samples).
A map application gives an overview of all geological material - rocks and sediment cores - held at GEOMAR. Further details about the sediment cores are provided via OSIS/Core Repository.
Our marine sediment core collection is kept in the newly built core storage (Zentrales Probenlager ZPL). The collections encompasses roughly 30.000 core sections, including 5.000 m of core material from the Red Sea, the former PREUSSAG-collection. Storage conditions are +4°C in customised lattice boxes.
The completed ZPL with its 900 m2 will offer storage space for sediment cores and for other specimen requiring cooling. For freeze samples (-20°C) two walk-in compartments are integrated within the building. In the entrance area a core preparation and sampling laboratory, an office and a warehouse for expedition equipment complete the infrastructure of the ZPL.
For a 360°-look into the ZPL, please follow this link (narrative in german).
The three-storey shelf complex offers storage space for about 7400 boxes. To date, 5500 boxes are archived. They contain
Storage is under ambient conditions.
