ABSTRACT

Studies of shear strength and consolidation characteristics of marine sediments from the following four major provinces of the Gulf of Mexico: Mississippi Fan, Abyssal Plain, Texas-Louisiana continental slope Mexican Continental Slope, indicate that the sediments in these regions, to a depth of 10 meters below the sediment water interface, are stable in their present environment.

Shear strength versus normal stress plots indicate that minimum average values of (angle of internal friction) varies between 11° for the Texas-Louisiana and Mexican continental slope sediments to 10° for Mississippi Fan and abyssal plain sediments. Average values of ranged from a high of 20° for the Texas-Louisiana continental slope sediments to 16° for Mississippi Fan and Abyssal Plain sediments.

Sediment of the Abyssal Plain and those of the Mississippi Fan are similar in consolidation characteristic as well as average values of .

An empirical relationship of expected minimum shear strength to depth below the sediment water interface of sediments from the Gulf of Mexico (excepting carbonate provinces) was found to be the following:

Shear strength (gm/cm²) = .086 x D where D is depth in centimeters below the sediment surface. This general relationship was found to be valid for values of D up to 100 cm.