Erosion & Sediment Room
Water weathers rocks and causes erosion.
Eroded materials are transported via water.
Sedimentation occurs when these eroded materials are deposited.
The Mississippi River carries an enormous load of suspended sediment from erosion farther up North.
Louisiana was formed when sediment from the Mississippi River was deposited during spring flood events.
Today, most of this sediment is lost to the deep waters of the Gulf of Mexico.
Meanwhile, our
coastal wetlands are disappearing at a rate of 25-35 mi2/yr. due to rising sea level, hydrological disruption from oil and gas exploration, subsidence, and lack of sediment input from the river.
Red areas on the large map represent areas of open water that was land only 50 years ago.
Hurricanes alter the wetland landscape by ripping up soil (i.e., the blue areas near Katrina's path) and depositing this soil elsewhere in the wetland (in yellow).
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