Gulf of Mexico#

Image courtesy of USGS., under PD

Turbid waters from the third-longest river system in the world spill out into the Gulf of Mexico where their suspended sediment is deposited to form the Mississippi River Delta.

Like the webbing on a ducks foot, marshes and mudflats in this 2001 satellite photo prevail between the shipping channels that have been cut into the delta.

The deltaic progression has advanced South Louisianas coastline 25-80 km (15-50 mi) over 5,000 years. In 2005, Hurricanes Rita and Katrina destroyed much of the delta and rising sea levels have increased erosion.