Three different regions were drilled during Leg 164: the Blake Ridge, the Cape Fear Diapir, and the Blake Ridge Diapir. The Blake Ridge is a drift deposit that contains a large quantity of gas hydrate. Physical properties tests indicate that sediment has been removed from the flank of the Cape Fear Diapir, and the shallow sub-bottom sediment from all three regions exhibits overconsolidation or apparent overconsolidation. The sediment from Hole 995A, located in the middle of a three-site transect on the Blake Ridge, exhibits overconsolidated behavior near the seafloor and significant underconsolidation at depth. The underconsolidation may be a result of the high sedimentation rates present in the area, presence of free gas, or of gas hydrate cementation that prevents the normal compaction process from occurring. Coincidentally, the smallest excess effective stress value, indicative of the presence of in situ excess pore pressure, occurs at the location of the maximum sedimentation rate.