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Hurricane Katrina Erodes the
…
| Title |
Hurricane Katrina Erodes the U.S. Gulf Coast |
| Description |
The graceful curve of the Chandeleur Islands resembles a multi-boned spine connecting the Mississippi Gulf coast to the delta of the Mississippi River in Louisiana. Like all barrier islands, the Chandeleur Islands form a thin protective wall between the open sea and the mainland, in this case Louisiana's St. Bernard Parish. The islands absorb the strongest waves, sheltering the mainland during large storms. It is no surprise, then, that barrier islands along the U.S. Gulf Coast changed dramatically in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, and no change is as dramatic as that seen in the Chandeleur Islands. Hurricane Katrina's strong winds, storm surge, and battering waves scoured the islands, leaving them reduced or gone altogether. These images of the islands were taken by the Landsat 5 satellite. The top image, taken on September 16, 2005, shows the Mississippi and Alabama coast line, including the line of islands that bore the brunt of Katrina's fury. The lower images show the northern section of the Chandeleur Islands at full resolution. In the 11 months that passed between October 15, 2004, when the right image was taken, and September 16, 2005, when the left image was taken, the islands have wasted away. Barrier islands like the Chandeleur Islands are constantly building, eroding, and shifting under the normal actions of wind and waves. A powerful storm like Katrina can produce changes that otherwise may have taken many years, and most of the change seen here is probably a result of Katrina. Hurricane Dennis also gave the islands a glancing blow on July 10, 2005, and may be responsible for some of the change. The other barrier islands shown in the top image were also scoured by Katrina. The large images show that the Ship Islands [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/natural_hazards_v2.php3?img_id=13130 ] are now significantly smaller than they were in 2004, and Dauphin Island [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/natural_hazards_v2.php3?img_id=13132 ] has been cut in two. To read more about Katrina's impact on the Gulf Coast, please visit the United States Geological Survey's Hurricane Katrina Impact Studies [ http://coastal.er.usgs.gov/hurricanes/katrina/ ] page. To learn how NASA technology is contributing to our understanding of coastal erosion, see "LIDAR: In the Wake of the Storm" [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Study/Lidar/index.html ] on the Earth Observatory. NASA image created by Jesse Allen, Earth Observatory, using data provided courtesy of Laura Rocchio, NASA Landsat Project Science Office |
|
Hurricane Katrina Erodes the
…
| Title |
Hurricane Katrina Erodes the U.S. Gulf Coast |
| Description |
The graceful curve of the Chandeleur Islands resembles a multi-boned spine connecting the Mississippi Gulf coast to the delta of the Mississippi River in Louisiana. Like all barrier islands, the Chandeleur Islands form a thin protective wall between the open sea and the mainland, in this case Louisiana's St. Bernard Parish. The islands absorb the strongest waves, sheltering the mainland during large storms. It is no surprise, then, that barrier islands along the U.S. Gulf Coast changed dramatically in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, and no change is as dramatic as that seen in the Chandeleur Islands. Hurricane Katrina's strong winds, storm surge, and battering waves scoured the islands, leaving them reduced or gone altogether. These images of the islands were taken by the Landsat 5 satellite. The top image, taken on September 16, 2005, shows the Mississippi and Alabama coast line, including the line of islands that bore the brunt of Katrina's fury. The lower images show the northern section of the Chandeleur Islands at full resolution. In the 11 months that passed between October 15, 2004, when the right image was taken, and September 16, 2005, when the left image was taken, the islands have wasted away. Barrier islands like the Chandeleur Islands are constantly building, eroding, and shifting under the normal actions of wind and waves. A powerful storm like Katrina can produce changes that otherwise may have taken many years, and most of the change seen here is probably a result of Katrina. Hurricane Dennis also gave the islands a glancing blow on July 10, 2005, and may be responsible for some of the change. The other barrier islands shown in the top image were also scoured by Katrina. The large images show that the Ship Islands [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/natural_hazards_v2.php3?img_id=13130 ] are now significantly smaller than they were in 2004, and Dauphin Island [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/natural_hazards_v2.php3?img_id=13132 ] has been cut in two. To read more about Katrina's impact on the Gulf Coast, please visit the United States Geological Survey's Hurricane Katrina Impact Studies [ http://coastal.er.usgs.gov/hurricanes/katrina/ ] page. To learn how NASA technology is contributing to our understanding of coastal erosion, see "LIDAR: In the Wake of the Storm" [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Study/Lidar/index.html ] on the Earth Observatory. NASA image created by Jesse Allen, Earth Observatory, using data provided courtesy of Laura Rocchio, NASA Landsat Project Science Office |
|
Hurricane Katrina Erodes the
…
| Title |
Hurricane Katrina Erodes the U.S. Gulf Coast |
| Description |
The graceful curve of the Chandeleur Islands resembles a multi-boned spine connecting the Mississippi Gulf coast to the delta of the Mississippi River in Louisiana. Like all barrier islands, the Chandeleur Islands form a thin protective wall between the open sea and the mainland, in this case Louisiana's St. Bernard Parish. The islands absorb the strongest waves, sheltering the mainland during large storms. It is no surprise, then, that barrier islands along the U.S. Gulf Coast changed dramatically in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, and no change is as dramatic as that seen in the Chandeleur Islands. Hurricane Katrina's strong winds, storm surge, and battering waves scoured the islands, leaving them reduced or gone altogether. These images of the islands were taken by the Landsat 5 satellite. The top image, taken on September 16, 2005, shows the Mississippi and Alabama coast line, including the line of islands that bore the brunt of Katrina's fury. The lower images show the northern section of the Chandeleur Islands at full resolution. In the 11 months that passed between October 15, 2004, when the right image was taken, and September 16, 2005, when the left image was taken, the islands have wasted away. Barrier islands like the Chandeleur Islands are constantly building, eroding, and shifting under the normal actions of wind and waves. A powerful storm like Katrina can produce changes that otherwise may have taken many years, and most of the change seen here is probably a result of Katrina. Hurricane Dennis also gave the islands a glancing blow on July 10, 2005, and may be responsible for some of the change. The other barrier islands shown in the top image were also scoured by Katrina. The large images show that the Ship Islands [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/natural_hazards_v2.php3?img_id=13130 ] are now significantly smaller than they were in 2004, and Dauphin Island [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/natural_hazards_v2.php3?img_id=13132 ] has been cut in two. To read more about Katrina's impact on the Gulf Coast, please visit the United States Geological Survey's Hurricane Katrina Impact Studies [ http://coastal.er.usgs.gov/hurricanes/katrina/ ] page. To learn how NASA technology is contributing to our understanding of coastal erosion, see "LIDAR: In the Wake of the Storm" [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Study/Lidar/index.html ] on the Earth Observatory. NASA image created by Jesse Allen, Earth Observatory, using data provided courtesy of Laura Rocchio, NASA Landsat Project Science Office |
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Mississippi River Delta
| Title |
Mississippi River Delta |
| Description |
Time, weather, and human intervention have all shaped the Mississippi Delta [ http://landsat.usgs.gov/gallery/detail/389/ ] in Louisiana, a giant bird's foot shape protruding into the Gulf of Mexico. The Mississippi River deposits sediment into the ocean, and over 25 years, NASA Landsat satellites observed changes in the delta's shape. On June 10, 1976, Landsat 1 acquired the top image. On October 10, 2001, Landsat 7 acquired the bottom image. In the years that separated these acquisitions, the river delta saw retreating shorelines, inundations, and some additional new land. In the 2001 image, new land appears most conspicuously along the southwestern tip of the delta, on the southeast side of the waterway. Upstream, inundations appear along the river, where water has overflowed the riverbanks. The shoreline has also retreated south of the river. The 2001 image shows darker water in the river channel and more obvious brown sediments around the delta, but these differences may result as much from the enhanced imaging abilities of a newer sensor as from changes in the waterway. Left to their own devices, rivers change course over time, and the Mississippi is no exception. Geologists surmise that the Mississippi changed course numerous times over the past 10,000 years, wandering across a roughly 320-kilometer (200-mile) range along the Gulf Coast. The Mississippi probably settled on its current course some six centuries ago. Permanent human settlements created a strong desire to manage the river's behavior and end its meanderings. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers constructed dams, locks, and canals to keep the river on one course. In the aftermath of the Hurricane Katrina, arguments intensified that the human management of the Mississippi River was a mixed blessing. The sediments the river carried offset the area's subsidence, [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Newsroom/NewImages/images.php3?img_id=17295 ] or sinking to a lower elevation. Placement of dams, however, stopped the sediment deposition, and also led to the loss of marshlands. Had coastal wetlands been present during Katrina and other hurricanes, they may have acted as a buffer against flooding by slowing the storm's giant waves and absorbing the surge of water that swept ashore with the hurricane. You can download a full -resolution KMZ file [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Newsroom/NewImages/Images/missdelta_etm_2001288.kmz ] comparing the 1976 Landsat 1 (57-meter resolution) and 2001 Landsat 7 (28.5-meter resolution) appearance of the Mississippi River delta suitable for use with Google Earth. [ http://earth.google.com/ ] NASA image created by Jesse Allen, using data provided by the University of Maryland's Global Land Cover Facility. [ http://www.landcover.org/ ] |
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Mississippi River Delta
| Title |
Mississippi River Delta |
| Description |
Time, weather, and human intervention have all shaped the Mississippi Delta [ http://landsat.usgs.gov/gallery/detail/389/ ] in Louisiana, a giant bird's foot shape protruding into the Gulf of Mexico. The Mississippi River deposits sediment into the ocean, and over 25 years, NASA Landsat satellites observed changes in the delta's shape. On June 10, 1976, Landsat 1 acquired the top image. On October 10, 2001, Landsat 7 acquired the bottom image. In the years that separated these acquisitions, the river delta saw retreating shorelines, inundations, and some additional new land. In the 2001 image, new land appears most conspicuously along the southwestern tip of the delta, on the southeast side of the waterway. Upstream, inundations appear along the river, where water has overflowed the riverbanks. The shoreline has also retreated south of the river. The 2001 image shows darker water in the river channel and more obvious brown sediments around the delta, but these differences may result as much from the enhanced imaging abilities of a newer sensor as from changes in the waterway. Left to their own devices, rivers change course over time, and the Mississippi is no exception. Geologists surmise that the Mississippi changed course numerous times over the past 10,000 years, wandering across a roughly 320-kilometer (200-mile) range along the Gulf Coast. The Mississippi probably settled on its current course some six centuries ago. Permanent human settlements created a strong desire to manage the river's behavior and end its meanderings. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers constructed dams, locks, and canals to keep the river on one course. In the aftermath of the Hurricane Katrina, arguments intensified that the human management of the Mississippi River was a mixed blessing. The sediments the river carried offset the area's subsidence, [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Newsroom/NewImages/images.php3?img_id=17295 ] or sinking to a lower elevation. Placement of dams, however, stopped the sediment deposition, and also led to the loss of marshlands. Had coastal wetlands been present during Katrina and other hurricanes, they may have acted as a buffer against flooding by slowing the storm's giant waves and absorbing the surge of water that swept ashore with the hurricane. You can download a full -resolution KMZ file [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Newsroom/NewImages/Images/missdelta_etm_2001288.kmz ] comparing the 1976 Landsat 1 (57-meter resolution) and 2001 Landsat 7 (28.5-meter resolution) appearance of the Mississippi River delta suitable for use with Google Earth. [ http://earth.google.com/ ] NASA image created by Jesse Allen, using data provided by the University of Maryland's Global Land Cover Facility. [ http://www.landcover.org/ ] |
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Hurricane Katrina Erodes the
…
nasa, nasanaturalhazards
The graceful curve of the Ch
…
ge_15534
| mediatype |
IMAGE |
| mediatype |
image |
| date |
2004-10-15 |
| creator |
NASA -- NASA Image Of The Day |
| identifier |
ge_15534 |
|
Hurricane Katrina Erodes the
…
nasa, nasanaturalhazards
The graceful curve of the Ch
…
ge_15534
| mediatype |
IMAGE |
| mediatype |
image |
| date |
2004-10-15 |
| creator |
NASA -- NASA Image Of The Day |
| identifier |
ge_15534 |
|
Hurricane Katrina Erodes the
…
nasa, nasanaturalhazards
The graceful curve of the Ch
…
ge_15534
| mediatype |
IMAGE |
| mediatype |
image |
| date |
2004-10-15 |
| creator |
NASA -- NASA Image Of The Day |
| identifier |
ge_15534 |
|
Hurricane Katrina Erodes the
…
nasa, nasanaturalhazards
The graceful curve of the Ch
…
ge_15534
| mediatype |
IMAGE |
| mediatype |
image |
| date |
2004-10-15 |
| creator |
NASA -- NASA Image Of The Day |
| identifier |
ge_15534 |
|
Hurricane Katrina Erodes the
…
nasa, nasanaturalhazards
The graceful curve of the Ch
…
ge_15534
| mediatype |
IMAGE |
| mediatype |
image |
| date |
2004-10-15 |
| creator |
NASA -- NASA Image Of The Day |
| identifier |
ge_15534 |
|
Katrina Damage to Gulf Coast
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nasa, nasaimageofthedaygalle
…
Besides its destruction to h
…
gulfcoast_ap_2005
| mediatype |
IMAGE |
| mediatype |
image |
| date |
2005 |
| creator |
NASA -- NASA Image Of The Day |
| identifier |
gulfcoast_ap_2005 |
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Louisiana Wetland Loss: Imag
…
nasa, nasaimageofthedaygalle
…
/LAwetlands/lawetlands.html
…
mississippi_mss_etm_plus
| mediatype |
IMAGE |
| mediatype |
image |
| date |
1999-11-18 |
| creator |
NASA -- NASA image created by Jesse Allen, Earth Observatory, using data obtained courtesy of the University of Maryland's glcf.umiacs.umd.edu/index.shtml Global Land Cover Facility . |
| identifier |
mississippi_mss_etm_plus |
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Davis Pond, Louisiana: Image
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nasa, nasaimageofthedaygalle
…
Louisiana has undertaken a m
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landsat_davis_pond
| mediatype |
IMAGE |
| mediatype |
image |
| date |
2003-11-30 |
| creator |
NASA -- Data provided by the edc.usgs.gov/ USGS EROS Data Center Satellite Systems Branch |
| identifier |
landsat_davis_pond |
|
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