Geotechnics, mineralogy and geochemistry of the Cutro Clay Formation, Calabria, Southern Italy

This paper deals with the geotechnical and the minero-chemical characterization of Plio-Pleistocene fine-grained deposits from the coastal area of the Crotone Basin (Calabria Region, Southern Italy). Eleven representative surface samples from the Cutro Clay Formation were investigated by means of geotechnical laboratory tests and geochemical and mineralogical analyses. The obtained results provided interesting physical and mineralogical information. The comparison between geotechnical analyses and geochemical and mineralogical investigations suggests a direct correlation allowing for a wider characterization of the sediment properties. From the activity index, determined by geotechnical laboratory tests, it was possible to predict the dominant clay minerals in the studied samples. Considering the typical values of Liquid and Plastic Limits and Activity index the studied samples fall in the range of limited and low activity. Thus, these results indicate that the Plio-Pleistocene mudrock samples mainly consist of illite and kaolinite as confirmed by the minero-chemical analyses.