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How stable is the Mississippi Delta?

2006; Geological Society of America; Volume: 34; Issue: 8 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1130/g22624.1

1943-2682

Torbjörn E. Törnqvist, Scott J. Bick, Klaas van der Borg, Arie F. M. de Jong,

Hydrocarbon exploration and reservoir analysis

Research Article| August 01, 2006 How stable is the Mississippi Delta? Torbjörn E. Törnqvist; Torbjörn E. Törnqvist 1Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Tulane University, 6823 St. Charles Avenue, New Orleans, Louisiana 70118-5698, USA Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Scott J. Bick; Scott J. Bick 2Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Illinois at Chicago, 845 West Taylor Street, Chicago, Illinois 60607-7059, USA Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Klaas van der Borg; Klaas van der Borg 3Robert J. Van de Graaff Laboratory, Utrecht University, P.O. Box 80000, NL-3508 TA Utrecht, Netherlands Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Arie F.M. de Jong Arie F.M. de Jong 3Robert J. Van de Graaff Laboratory, Utrecht University, P.O. Box 80000, NL-3508 TA Utrecht, Netherlands Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Geology (2006) 34 (8): 697–700. https://doi.org/10.1130/G22624.1 Article history received: 20 Jan 2006 rev-recd: 24 Mar 2006 accepted: 31 Mar 2006 first online: 09 Mar 2017 Cite View This Citation Add to Citation Manager Share Icon Share MailTo Twitter LinkedIn Tools Icon Tools Get Permissions Search Site Citation Torbjörn E. Törnqvist, Scott J. Bick, Klaas van der Borg, Arie F.M. de Jong; How stable is the Mississippi Delta?. Geology 2006;; 34 (8): 697–700. doi: https://doi.org/10.1130/G22624.1 Download citation file: Ris (Zotero) Refmanager EasyBib Bookends Mendeley Papers EndNote RefWorks BibTex toolbar search Search Dropdown Menu toolbar search search input Search input auto suggest filter your search All ContentBy SocietyGeology Search Advanced Search Abstract Large deltas are commonly believed to exhibit rapid rates of tectonic subsidence, largely due to sediment loading of the lithosphere. As a result, deltaic plains are prone to accelerated relative sea-level rise, coastal erosion, and wetland loss. Hurricane Katrina's devastation testifies to the severe threat that these processes pose to the Mississippi Delta, but the relative role of tectonics versus other mechanisms causing land subsidence remains elusive. Relative sea-level records derived from basal peat have the potential to quantify differential crustal movements over Holocene time scales with exceptionally high accuracy and precision. Here we present new sea-level index points from two study areas in the southwestern Mississippi Delta that essentially coincide with a recently published detailed relative sea-level record from the eastern part of the delta. Our results show that differential vertical movements among the three study areas have been only ∼0.1 mm yr−1. We compare our evidence with a recent sea-level compilation from the Caribbean, to a large extent based on data from areas that are tectonically stable. Our sea-level index points nearly coincide with the Caribbean data, showing surprising tectonic stability for considerable sections of the Mississippi Delta. However, the well-documented high subsidence rates in and near the birdfoot of the Mississippi Delta indicate that different conditions prevail there. The rapid wetland loss in coastal Louisiana is likely due, to a considerable extent, to the compaction of Holocene strata. You do not have access to this content, please speak to your institutional administrator if you feel you should have access.