Core sample
From Glossary of Meteorology
core sample[edit | edit source]
A sample of rock, soil, snow, or ice obtained by driving a hollow tube into the medium and withdrawing it with its contained sample or “core.”
In general, the aim of core sampling is to obtain a specimen in its undisturbed natural state for subsequent analysis. The snow sampler is a hydrometeorological example of the type of instrument used to obtain core samples.