ABSTRACT The physical properties of 138 unconsolidated hemipelagic silty clays and turbidites from the mouth of the Gulf of California were analyzed in order to determine their grain size, shear strength, compressional wave velocity, porosity, specific gravity, wet-bulk density, water content, void ratio, and degree of saturation. As at other Deep Sea Drilling Project (DSDP) sites, the wet-bulk density, sonic velocity, and shear strength tended to increase with depth while the porosity and water content decreased in response to increasing compaction. The grain size and clay fraction varied irregularly with depth. The wet-bulk density ranged from 1.34 to 2.58 g/cm 3 , while, the shear strength and compressional wave velocity ranged from 0.03 to 1.05 tons/ft. 2 and 1.47 to 4.25 km/s, respectively. The porosity varied between 8 and 79%, while the water content ranged from 28.0 to 175.6%; most samples were effectively 100% saturated. The specific gravity ranged from 1.71 to 3.24 and showed a tendency to be directly related to the wet-bulk density and thus inversely related to porosity. The physical properties of the hemipelagic sediments and turbidites are noticeably different, and the properties of both were modified by diagenesis near the basement
