Hardness index (the accumulated amount of solids down to a sediment depth of 10 cm) of the 34 cores, X-rayed during the Baltic Sediment Baseline Study in 1993. From Axelsson 1997 (SGU series Ca 86). For location, see the map below.

The hardness index is used to compare the density of the upper part of these X-rayed sediment cores. The rather high values of the hardness index in cores K1 from the Kattegatt and G4 from the Gulf of Finland indicate a rather high dynamic activity in the bottom water at these coring stations. Due to the flocculated nature of the uppermost part of the core from the East Gotland Deep, core EGD, this core had the lowest hardness index. However, the gas-rich core LL from the northernmost part of the Baltic Proper had a lower accumulated amount of solids in the upper 20 cm than core EGD. The void ratio is very high in the upper, underconsolidated parts of these two cores, and these sediment parts may therefore be eroded by very week currents.

Locations of the sediment cores, sampled from and X-rayed on board R/V Aranda during the Baseline Study of Contaminants in the Baltic Sea in 1993.

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