(Table 1) Conditions of consolidation and excess pore-water pressures for sediments at DSDP Hole 96-619

Geotechnical examination of 180 m of core recovered in Pigmy Basin at Site 619 in the Gulf of Mexico indicates that excess pore-water pressures are present in the lower section of the hole. Shear strength-vertical effective stress relationships and consolidation testing (oedometer) indicate that the sediments are normally consolidated in the upper 30 m and underconsolidated below. The presence of gas within the pore waters greatly affected the measurements of shear strength, water content, and porosity in the interval between 80 and 160 m sub-bottom.