Managing geological specimen collecting: rock coring (TIN116)

This case study has been written to help explain how the guidance in TIN111 relates to rock coring. Rock coring is often used by researchers to extract small cylindrical samples from rock outcrops as part of palaeomagnetic or geochemical studies. This geological sampling method generally causes less lateral damage than hammering and is often out of sight to all but those closely examining an exposure. However, irresponsible coring can cause very unsightly scarring if care is not taken to core only from exposures out of direct view (Geologists Association, 2011).