Where on (Google) Earth #118?
posted in Geology, Google Earth, Where on (Google) Earth? |Dr. Lemming did a masterful job of selecting a stumper for WoGE #117. I spent days navigating the Indo-Gangetic Plain in search of his dastardly delta – I was about ready to qualify for my riverboat pilot’s license. Alas, it wasn’t until he delivered the camel-clue that I was released from the Camel Clutch that the Ganga held me with.
Despite really wanting to get back to the mountains, I came across so many interesting deltas that I figured I’d share one of them for WoGE #118. As always, the winner is the person who first posts the location of the feature(s) in question (latitude and longitude will suffice), but a professional grade (prograde) answer will also explain its geologic significance…
Basic Australian overhead (map) view…
We don’t need no stinkin’ Schott Rule!
29.509137°N; 91.438210°W
Ooooh … the Wax Lake Delta … one of the most striking deltas around. Is actually a product of a canal built between the Atchafalaya River and Atchafalaya Bay in Louisiana (west of the Mississippi). You can see the arrow-straight canal pretty clearly when you head north a bit on GoogleEarth.
I see no sign of longshore transport- could it be lacustrine?
Damn, I missed it. The delta was formed by an accidental diversion and has only been growing subaerially since 1973 or so. It is under study currently by researchers from the National Center for Earth-Surface Dynamics as an analogue for intentional diversions to replace lost wetlands in coastal, LA. There’s a bit of description here. The project also receives a blurb on their main page (first link).
I’ll get WoGE #119 up later today.
Yeah, Ron’s right, firstly the wave action in the Gulf of Mexico isn’t very strong and, secondly, the high sediment flux is winning the battle against the sea. This particular feature is a product of the canal … this delta has been constructed since the 1940s or so (I don’t remember exactly) and is still building out fairly rapidly. It’s like a true-scale experiment!
Wo(G)E #119 is up
here
Beautiful image!
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