NASA Studies a Rare Phenomena – Growing Louisiana Deltas
The Louisiana coast is a strange thing. Marshes, swamps, and wetlands dot the Delta region of the Bayou State in a very confusing way. I am about to make it more confusing.
According to the smarty-smartersons at NASA, the Louisiana coastline is actually disappearing at the rate of 1 football field of land per hour. However, the deltas that spring forth from the mouth of the Atchafalaya River and its diversion channel, Wax Lake Outlet, are gaining around one football field of new land every 11 and 8 hours, respectively.
That's right, despite the Gulf of Mexico gobbling up Mercedes-Benz Superdome sized chunks of land every hour, the whole of Louisiana is growing. But, don't take my word for it - look at this science-y picture! It's totes for real!
NASA's JPL (Jet Propulsion Labratory) researchers fly over the Louisiana coastline once a year to keep track of sinking and changes in levees. The most recent airborne flights, however, focused on the growing deltas—specifically, flowing water and vegetation. This new set of details is a bit of a mystery, but rest assured - we have top men looking into it. Top Men.
There's no snakes in South Louisiana, right?