Northern Hatteras Abyssal Plain sediments: Geotechnical properties

Physical properties were tested on sediment cores in ten locations of the E-N3 study area of northern Hatteras Abyssal Plain. The sediments are composed of approximately 0.4 m of Holocene hemipelagic clay overlying interbedded tubiditic sands, silt, and clay of Pleistocene age. Physical properties tested include natural and remolded shear strength, water content, and bulk density. In most of the longer cores, normal downcore trends of physical properties were observed (i.e., water content decrease, shear strength increases, and bulk density increase). Turbidite silt and sand layers depart from these trends and have higher shear strength and bulk density, and lower water content. Summarized values of physical properties for northern Hatteras Abyssal Plain based on these cores are as follows: shear strength, 6.2 kPa; water content, 73%; bulk density, 1.62 mg/m3. 3 references, 52 figures, 13 tables