ABSTRACT

The present sediment thicknesses in deep-sea basins, away from continents and islands, are apt to be the total thicknesses of the first two (or more) layers revealed by seismic surveys. The application of soil mechanics techniques to this and associated problems indicates the possibility of determining approximate amounts of original sediments necessary to consolidate and lithify into present thicknesses. Once this is done, then computations can be made of the amounts of solids in the original sediments, and, assuming rates of sedimentation, estimates can be made of the amounts of solids in the original sediments, and, assuming rates of sedimentation, estimates can be made of the ages of ocean basins under specific localities. In general, these computations and estimates indicate suff cient solids are present on the sea floor to satisfy the needs of the world-wide geochemical balance and that the ocean basins are of ancient age (Paleozoic to Pre-Paleozoic).