Bay mud consists of thick deposits of soft, unconsolidated
silty clay, which is saturated with
water; these soil layers are situated at the bottom of certain
estuaries, which are normally in
temperate regions that have experienced cyclical
glacial cycles. Example locations are
Cape Cod Bay, Chongming Dongtan Reserve in
Shanghai,
China,
Banc d'Arguinpreserve in
Mauritania, The
Bristol Channel in the
United Kingdom,
Mandø Island in the
Wadden Sea in
Denmark,
Florida Bay,
San Francisco Bay,
Bay of Fundy,
Casco Bay,
Penobscot Bay and
Morro Bay. Bay mud manifests low
shear strength, high
compressibility and low
permeability, making it hazardous to build upon in
seismically active regions like the
San Francisco Bay Area.