|29 October 2010 GSA Release No. 10-61 Director - GSA
Communications & Marketing Troubled Islands—Hurricanes, Oil
Spill & Sea Level Rise Boulder, CO, USA - The islands flanking
the outlet of the Mississippi River are not only facing losses
due to sea level rise and local subsidence, according to one
study, but new unknown impacts from oil recovery operations, say
researchers working on another project. Both will be presenting
their work on Nov. 1 and 2 at the meeting of the Geological
Society of American in Denver. Some islands could disappear
entirely in coming decades, exposing huge swaths of marshland to
the waves of the open sea. On one side of the Mississippi River
outlet, to the east of the river outlet, is the Chandeleur
Islands-Biloxi Marsh system which is on it's last legs, say
researchers studying the recent geological history of the area
via peat layers beneath in the marshes. On the other side, to
the west, is Grand Isle which is the focus of a study that helps
document what conditions BP needs to