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Investigation on the unique physical characteristics of ultra-deep marine sediments from the South China Sea basin: Insight from microstructural and mineralogical perspective
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DOI：10.1007/s10064-026-05233-2.png)
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Abstract
En 中文
The investigation on the engineering properties of ultra-deep marine sediments (UDMSs, water depth > 4000 m) is crucial for the exploration of deep-sea minerals. This study systematically characterised the unique physical properties of UDMSs sampled from the South China Sea (SCS) basin through a series of laboratory testing. The results reveal that UDMSs exhibit extraordinary high natural water content, void ratio and Atterberg limits, but very low density. Grain-size analyses indicate that silt is the dominated fraction, and the sediments can be classified as MH. Moreover, UDMSs display anomalously high activity values compared with shallow and deep water ones. The SEM-EDS-XRD coupling technology was employed to analyse the microstructure and mineral composition, which helps to elucidate the mechanism of unique geotechnical properties of UDMSs. The open flocculated microstructural framework and abundant intra-pore biogenic debris, including siliceous diatoms, siliceous radiolarians and calcareous foraminifera, are interpreted as the underlying reasons of these unique properties. Notably, biogenic-silica content exhibits a significant positive linear correlation with both liquid limit and activity index. The findings aim to enhance understanding of the physical characteristics of UDMSs and to refine a scientific basis for deep water engineering, including deep-seabed mining and oil pipeline emplacement.
Keywords:
Ultra-deep marine sediments
Engineering properties
Microstructure characteristics
Biogenic debris
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