Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Geotechnical aspects of fine-grained mass flow deposits: California Continental Borderland

  • Published:
Geo-Marine Letters Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Seismic reflection profiling demonstrates the importance of mass movement in the north-central California Borderland. Bulk properties of surficial hemipelagic sediments in the Santa Barbara, Santa Cruz, and San Nicolas basins show that different types of mass-transported sediments have different properties, although their general sedimentologic characteristics are very similar. Slump deposits have moderate water contents (48% wet weight basis), high plasticity indices (46%), and moderate activities (1.6). For debris flows these values are low: 28%, 5%, and 0.3, respectively, and for other types (liquefied flow, mudflows, and turbidities) the values are high: 54 to 63%, 49 to 58%, and 1.2 to 1.5, respectively.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Haner, B. E., and Gorsline, D. S., 1978. Processes and morphology of continental slope between Santa Monica and Dume submarine canyons, southern California. Marine Geology, v. 28, p. 77–87.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  2. Gorsline, D. S., 1978. Anatomy of margin basins. Jour. Sed. Petrology, v. 48, p. 1055–1068.

    Google Scholar 

  3. Nardin, T. R., Hein, F. J., Gorsline, D. S., and Edwards, B. D., 1979. A review of mass movement processes, sediment and acoustic characteristics and contrasts in slope and base-of-slope systems versus canyon-fan-basin floor systems. In: L. J. Doyle and O. H. Pilkey (eds.), Geology of the Continental Slopes. SEPM Spec. Pub. 27, p. 63–77.

  4. Hein, F. J., and Thornton, S. E., 1979. Fine-grained mass flow deposits of slope and slope-apron settings: examples from the California Borderland. Geol. Soc. America Abs. with Programs, v. 11, p. 441.

    Google Scholar 

  5. Field, M. E., and Edwards, B. D., 1980. Slopes of the southern California Borderland: a regime of mass transport. In: I. Colburn, A. Bouma, M. Field, R. Douglas, and J. Ingle (eds.), Quaternary Depositional Environments, Pacific Coast, Pac. Sec. SEPM, Symposium 4, p. 169–184.

  6. Hein, F. J., 1980. Sedimentological and geotechnical aspects of finegrained mass-flow deposits, California Borderland basins. Geol. Assoc. Canada Ann. Mtg., Halifax, N.S., p. 46.

  7. Gorsline, D. S., and Prensky, S. E. 1975. Paleoclimatic inferences for Late Pleistocene and Holocene from California Continental Borderland basins. In: R. P. Suggate and M. M. Cresswell (eds.), Quaternary Studies. Royal Soc. New Zealand, p. 147–154.

  8. Thornton, S. E., 1980. Suspended sediment transport in surface waters of the California Current off southern California: 1977–78 floods. Geo-Marine Letters, v. 1, p.

  9. Lowe, D. R., and Lo Piccolo, R. D., 1974. The characteristics and origin of dish and pillar structures. Jour. Sed. Petrology, v. 44, p. 484–501.

    Google Scholar 

  10. Lowe, D. R., 1975. Water escape structures in coarse-grained sediments. Sedimentology, v. 22, p. 157–204.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  11. Edwards, B. D., 1979. Animal-sediment relationships in dysaerobic bathyl environments, California Borderland. Unpub. Ph.D. dissert., Univ. Southern California, Los Angeles: 291 p.

    Google Scholar 

  12. Casagrande, A., 1948. Classification and identification of soils. Am. Soc. Civil Engineers, Trans., v. 113, p. 901–931.

    Google Scholar 

  13. Morgenstern, N. R., and Sangrey, D. A., 1978. Methods of stability analysis in landslides: analysis and control. Transportation Research Board, NRC, Washington, D.C., Chap. 7.

    Google Scholar 

  14. Sangrey, D. A., 1979. Geotechnical engineering link between offshore processes and hazards. Offsflore Geol. Hazards Short Course Notes, Sec. 2, Rice Univ., Houston, p. 2-i to 2-62.

    Google Scholar 

  15. Booth, J. S., and Sangrey, D. A., 1979. Mass movement potential of recent sediments on the U.S. continental margins. Geol. Soc. America Abs. with Programs, v. 11, p. 391.

    Google Scholar 

  16. Hamilton, E. L., 1980. Geoacoustic modeling of the sea floor. Jour. Acoust. Soc. America, v. 68, p. 1313–1340.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Author notes

  1. F. J. Hein

    Present address: Department of Geology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Geological Sciences, University of Southern California, 90007, Los Angeles, CA

    F. J. Hein & D. S. Gorsline

Authors
  1. F. J. Hein
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. D. S. Gorsline
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Hein, F.J., Gorsline, D.S. Geotechnical aspects of fine-grained mass flow deposits: California Continental Borderland. Geo-Marine Letters 1, 1–5 (1981). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02463293

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02463293

Keywords

Search

Navigation