Some samples are taken directly from the core on the catwalk. The samples might be for paleontology (PAL) or for microbiology (MBIO), interstitial water (IW), and others. Here Vincent Percuoco (Chemistry Laboratory, IODP-USIO/TAMU) extracts pore water. Pore water is another term for interstitial water. The sample is placed in a chamber where a hydraulic press squeezes it up to 30,000 psi or 200,000 kPa. The water extracted records the chemical interactions that have taken place between the sediments and fluids flowing through the rocks. It is a fingerprint of the processes that are currently occurring deep beneath the seafloor. (Credit: Bill Crawford, IODP/TAMU) [Photo ID: exp351_030] Back to expedition photos.