We used Troels-Smith classification to identify the sediments in the cores we collected from Loch Duart, and gave a brief description of the colour and nature of the sediment, and noted the depth of each distinct layer. We found that the core was made up mostly of amorphous organic material with some silt, clay and sand. There were also two distinct sand layers in the first core.
Next, we separated some of the sediment out to test for foraminifera and diatoms. Christine prepared the sediment for the diatoms, of which she weighed 5mg of sediment from 16cm intervals along the core. Hydrogen peroxide will be added to the sample to digest any organic material (diatoms are silicon based) and then the sample will be centrifuged until it becomes clear. Jerry and I prepared the samples for the foraminifera – this involved taking a 1cm sample of the core, about half the core width, and adding deionised water. We then left the samples to separate out to make them easier to sift.