Linking the historic 2011 Mississippi River flood to coastal wetland sedimentation

Nature Geoscience (2012)

Falcini F, Khan N S, Macelloni L, Horton B P, Lutken C B, McKee K L, Santoleri R, Colella S, Li C, Volpe G, D’Emidio M, Salusti A and Jerolmack D J

DOI: 10.1038/ngeo1615

Vol 5, Issue 11, pp 803-807

Abstract

In spring 2011, a record-breaking flood necessitated diversion of water from the lower Mississippi River to the Atchafalaya River Basin. A comparison between the dynamics in the two basins based on field-calibrated satellite observations and in situ data suggests that river-mouth dynamics and wetland sedimentation are directly linked.