Running a few more grain size samples

Sometimes you have to get creative in order to speed up your workflow in the lab. Luckily sediment grain-size measurements aren’t really affected by rogue skin cells! Here I’m labeling beakers, getting ready to prep sediment samples to soak overnight in a solution of sodium metaphosphate in water. Glacial sediment from the Ross Sea is rich in fine silt and clay, leading to unwanted clumps that must be disaggregated before being measured. Sodium metaphosphate does that job!