 |
|
Satellites Spot Mighty Mississippi - In the Atlantic
September 16, 2005Scientists using satellite imagery found that at least 23 percent of the water released from the mouth of the Mississippi River from July through September 2004 traveled quite a distance-into the Gulf of Mexico, around the Florida Keys, and into the Atlantic Ocean.
The researchers combined data from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) aboard NASA's Terra and Aqua satellites with information collected from ships to study the water discharge, appearing as a dark plume that stretched from the Mississippi Delta, around Florida and up to the Georgia coast. MODIS detects the color of the ocean due to changes in the amount of tiny ocean plants floating on the ocean's surface known as phytoplankton, or algae and other decaying materials.
The research also shows that such plumes created by the Mississippi River can travel over large distances, more than 1240 miles (2000 kilometers).
Beyond studying the causes of such events, researchers are using satellite information with observations from ships and "ocean surface drifters"-instruments resembling balloons that travel the ocean surface, to get a better idea of how these plumes affect marine life.
"Mississippi River water may have some impact on marine life in remote delicate ecosystems like the Florida Keys. But we are still not clear about the potential impacts of pollutants and pesticides," said Hu. "Not all effects will be bad; in fact, some light dark water events might actually protect bottom ocean dwellers, like coral, by providing them with shade."
The study is published in the July 2005 issue of Geophysical Research Letters under support of NASA, NOAA, and ONR as a contribution to the SouthEast Atlantic Coastal Ocean Observing System (SEACOOS). Coauthors include oceanographers James Nelson from the Skidaway Institute of Oceanography, Elizabeth Johns from NOAA's Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory, and Zhiqiang Chen, Robert Weisberg, and Frank Muller-Karger from the University of South Florida.
The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer images shown here follow the freshwater plume in late July and early August. The plume appears as a dark ribbon against the lighter blue surrounding waters.
NASA
Mississippi River Current Events and Mississippi River News RSSResearchers establish common seasonal pattern among bacterial communities in Arctic rivers
New research on bacterial communities throughout six large Arctic river ecosystems reveals predictable temporal patterns, suggesting that scientists could use these communities as markers for monitoring climate change in the polar regions.
NASA Satellites See Ida Spreading Out Before Landfall
NASA's Aqua and Terra satellites are keeping a close eye on Tropical Storm Ida, and both have instruments aboard that show her clouds and rains are already widespread inland over the U.S. Gulf coast states.
Sun or shade: Pecan leaves' photosynthetic light response evaluated
Pecan, the most valuable nut tree native to North America, is native from northern Illinois and southeastern Iowa to the Gulf Coast of the United States, where it grows abundantly along the Mississippi River, the rivers of central and eastern Oklahoma, and Texas.
Expert to Discuss Phosphorus' Impact on Gulf 'Dead Zone'
Phosphorus is an essential element in production agriculture, however fertilizer runoff and wastewater discharge have led to massive eutrophication problems in water bodies worldwide.
Diverting sediment-rich water below New Orleans could lead to extensive new land
Diverting sediment-rich water from the Mississippi River below New Orleans could generate new land in the river's delta in the next century.
Cuts to Mississippi levees could build new land in sinking delta
Diverting sediment-rich water from the Mississippi River below New Orleans could generate new land in the river's delta in the next century that would equal almost half the acreage otherwise expected to disappear during that period, a new study shows.
Alfalfa sprouts key to discovering how meandering rivers form and maintain
Sinuous, meandering streams produce diverse and wildlife-rich habitats and are the aim of many river restoration efforts, but until now, the bank, water flow and sediment conditions required to form and maintain meanders have been largely a matter of speculation.
Living, Meandering River Constructed
In a feat of reverse-engineering, Christian Braudrick of University of California at Berkeley and three coauthors have successfully built and maintained a scale model of a living meandering gravel-bed river in the lab.
Biofuel production could undercut efforts to shrink Gulf 'Dead Zone'
Scientists in Pennsylvania report that boosting production of crops used to make biofuels could make a difficult task to shrink a vast, oxygen-depleted "dead zone" in the Gulf of Mexico more difficult.
Widespread Occurrence of Intersex Bass Found in U.S. Rivers
Intersex in smallmouth and largemouth basses is widespread in numerous river basins throughout the United States is the major finding of the most comprehensive and large-scale evaluation of the condition, according to U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) research published online in Aquatic Toxicology.
More Mississippi River Current Events and Mississippi River News Articles
 |
The Mississippi River in Maps & Views: From Lake Itasca to The Gulf of Mexico by Robert A. Holland (Author) In The Mississippi River in Maps & Views more than eighty glorious full-color maps dating from as early as 1544 celebrate "Ol’ Man River," this profound artery at the heart of America, and the extraordinary cities that grew up on its shores, including New Orleans, Memphis, St. Louis, and Minneapolis–St. Paul. Beautifully drawn maps document Fernando de Soto’s explorations and "discovery" of the river, as well as those of the Marquett and Joliet Expeditions. Other maps present key moments along the Mississippi in times of war (The French and Indian War, The War of 1812, The Civil War). More recent though equally artful maps and charts seek a scientific understanding of the river toward an end of controlling it, and gorgeous bird’s-eye views ultimately extol the river’s beauty... |
 |
Immortal River: The Upper Mississippi in Ancient and Modern Times by Calvin R. Fremling (Author) This engaging and well-illustrated primer to the Upper Mississippi River presents the basic natural and human history of this magnificent waterway. Immortal River is written for the educated lay-person who would like to know more about the river's history and the forces that shape as well as threaten it today. It melds complex information from the fields of geology, ecology, geography, anthropology, and history into a readable, chronological story that spans some 500 million years of the earth's history. Like the Mississippi itself, Immortal River often leaves the main channel to explore the river's backwaters, floodplain, and drainage basin. The book's focus is the Upper Mississippi, from Minneapolis, Minnesota, to Cairo, Illinois. But it also includes information... |
 |
"Mississippi River View" Scenic Giclee Poster Print by Jerrie Glasper, 10x8 by Art.com Art.com is the world's largest retailer of art prints, posters, photographs, and framed artwork. With our huge selection of over 400,000 prints, you'll easily find the perfect piece for your home, office, or classroom. Our art is printed on quality paper. When you order framed artwork, the piece is built by our team of in-house professionals. Visit our Amazon store today at www.amazon.com/artdotcom to find Special Offers and search for products based on 'Artist Name' and 'Subject Categories' such as Movie, Music, Vintage, TV, Children, Travel, Kitchen, Museum Art, Animals, Floral, Motivational, and Sports. Art.com is dedicated to providing you with high quality products and service by offering you 100% satisfaction guaranteed. We ship internationally to over 80 countries. Decorate your... |
 |
When the Mississippi Ran Backwards : Empire, Intrigue, Murder, and the New Madrid Earthquakes by Jay Feldman (Author) On December 15, 1811, two of Thomas Jefferson's nephews murdered a slave in cold blood and put his body parts into a roaring fire. The evidence would have been destroyed but for a rare act of God -- or, as some believed, of the Indian chief Tecumseh. That same day, the Mississippi River's first steamboat, piloted by Nicholas Roosevelt, powered itself toward New Orleans on its maiden voyage. The sky grew hazy and red, and jolts of electricity flashed in the air. A prophecy by Tecumseh was about to be fulfilled. He had warned reluctant warrior-tribes that he would stamp his feet and bring down their houses. Sure enough, between December 16, 1811, and late April 1812, a catastrophic series of earthquakes shook the Mississippi River Valley. Of the more than 2,000 tremors that rumbled... |
 |
The Valley of the Giant: Mississippi River story Experience the American Journey through our country's visual heritage in this historical recording provided by the National Archives of the United States. Opening with an explanation of the national importance of the Mississippi River as a major trade waterway, the film explores the Army Corps of Engineers' methods of maintaining it as a safe navigational channel. It also chronicles how the Corps has built countless levees, dams, floodways, etc., in order to prevent a reoccurrence of the massive destruction of the delta that resulted from the 1927 flood. This historical recording from the National Archives may contain variations in audio and video quality based on the limitations of the original source material. The content summary for this DVD is adapted from an... |
 |
The Mighty Mississippi (Ready-to-Read. Level 1) by Marion Dane Bauer (Author), John Wallace (Illustrator) Discover what makes the mighty Mississippi a truly great river. |
 |
" Mississippi River Sunset" Scenic Giclee Poster Print by Jerrie Glasper, 8x10 by Art.com Art.com is the world's largest retailer of art prints, posters, photographs, and framed artwork. With our huge selection of over 400,000 prints, you'll easily find the perfect piece for your home, office, or classroom. Our art is printed on quality paper. When you order framed artwork, the piece is built by our team of in-house professionals. Visit our Amazon store today at www.amazon.com/artdotcom to find Special Offers and search for products based on 'Artist Name' and 'Subject Categories' such as Movie, Music, Vintage, TV, Children, Travel, Kitchen, Museum Art, Animals, Floral, Motivational, and Sports. Art.com is dedicated to providing you with high quality products and service by offering you 100% satisfaction guaranteed. We ship internationally to over 80 countries. Decorate your... |
 |
The Mighty Mississippi: The Life and Times of America's Greatest River by Linda Vieira (Author), Higgins Bond (Illustrator) The winding, epic history of one of America’s greatest natural wonders. The mighty Mississippi River has wound its way through our country’s heartland—and the course of history—for thousands of years. Formed when the last glaciers of the Ice Age melted, the river became a 2,550-mile-long drainage basin for almost half of the United States. Before Europeans arrived in the New World, it was a means of exploration and trade for Native Americans. It later witnessed some of the most pivotal events in American history, from the Revolutionary War to the Trail of Tears to the Civil War. It has survived flooding, earthquakes, and hurricanes. Linda Vieira and Higgins Bond use their talents and expertise to explore the science and the history of the great Mississippi River,... |
 |
Rising Tide: The Great Mississippi Flood of 1927 and How It Changed America by John M. Barry (Author) An American epic of science, politics, race, honor, high society, and the Mississippi River, Rising Tide tells the riveting and nearly forgotten story of the greatest natural disaster this country has ever known -- the Mississippi flood of 1927. The river inundated the homes of nearly one million people, helped elect Huey Long governor and made Herbert Hoover president, drove hundreds of thousands of blacks north, and transformed American society and politics forever. A New York Times Notable Book of the Year, winner of the Southern Book Critics Circle Award and the Lillian Smith Award. |
 |
Mississippi Solo: A River Quest by Eddy Harris (Author) Since the publication of his first book, Mississippi Solo, Eddy L. Harris has been praised for his travel writing. In this exciting reissue of his classic travelogue, readers will come to treasure the rich insightful prose that is as textured as the Mississippi River itself. They will be taken by the hand by an adventurer whose lifelong dream is to canoe the length of this mighty river, from Minnesota to New Orleans. The trip's dangers were legion for a Black man traveling alone, paddling from "where there ain't no black folks to where they still don't like us much." Barge waives loom large, wild dogs roam the wooded shores, and, in the Arkansas dusk, two shotgun-toting bigots nearly bring the author's dream to a bloody . Sustaining him through the hard weeks of paddling were the hundreds... |
| © 2009 BrightSurf.com |