The color profile of the ODP cores in the past has generally been recorded in Visual Core Description files using Munsell charts. But more recently, starting Leg 154 the scientists have started to use Minolta Spectrophotometer to scan the colors of the core sections.
A LabView program was written by a shipboard Laboratory Officer to record the data. The program constantly waits for data from the spectrophotometer by constantly scanning the serial buffer. When it receives data it parses the data string and extracts the Munsell color, the spectral nanno meter channels 400-700, and the CIE 1976 L*a*b* color system values.
LEG - Number identifying the cruise.
SITE - Number identifying the site. A site is the position of a beacon around which holes are drilled.
HOLE - Letter identifying the hole.
CORE - Number identifying the core. Cores are numbered serially from the top of the hole downward.
CORETYPE - A letter code identifying the drill bit/coring method used to retrieve the core. The coretype codes are:
B - Drill Bit
C - Center Bit
D - Positive Displacement
H - Hydraulic Piston Core
M - Miscellaneous
N - Downhole Mud Motor (Navidrill)
P - Pressure Core Barrel
R - Rotary
S - Side Wall Core
W - Wash Core
X - Extended Core Barrel
SECTION - A core is cut into 1.5 meter long sections that are numbered serially from the top of the core. A core with full recovery will have 7 sections and a core catcher and be approximately 9.8 meters long.
TOP_INTERVAL - Distance in centimeters from the top of the section to the top of the sample interval.
SUB_BOTTOM_DEPTH - Distance in meters from the seafloor to the top of the sample interval.
NNN.NN L* [6]
NNN.NN a* [6]
NNN.NN b* [6]
NN.NAA Munsell hue [6] (exception: NEUTRAL truncated to first 6 char)
NN.N/NN.N Munsell value/chroma [9]
NN.NN 400nm [5]
NN.NN 410nm [5]
NN.NN 420nm [5]
NN.NN 430nm [5]
NN.NN 440nm [5]
NN.NN 450nm [5]
NN.NN 460nm [5]
NN.NN 470nm [5]
NN.NN 480nm [5]
NN.NN 490nm [5]
NN.NN 500nm [5]
NN.NN 510nm [5]
NN.NN 520nm [5]
NN.NN 530nm [5]
NN.NN 540nm [5]
NN.NN 550nm [5]
NN.NN 560nm [5]
NN.NN 570nm [5]
NN.NN 580nm [5]
NN.NN 590nm [5]
NN.NN 600nm [5]
NN.NN 610nm [5]
NN.NN 620nm [5]
NN.NN 630nm [5]
NN.NN 640nm [5]
NN.NN 650nm [5]
NN.NN 660nm [5]
NN.NN 670nm [5]
NN.NN 680nm [5]
NN.NN 690nm [5]
NN.NN 700nm [5]