Scientists at Louisiana State University analyzed 11 years of GPS measurements recorded in the state and have determined that the southern portion of Louisiana, along the Mississippi Delta is actually sliding into the Gulf of Mexico at a rate of a few millimeters per year. The sliding is thought to be caused by deep underground faults that slip due to the massive weight of sediment that the Mississippi River deposits in the region. This sliding is in addition to previous evidence that suggests that the entire delta is also sinking as well.
These findings have big implications on engineers building new flood control systems in the region as they must now account for the sliding, as well as subsidence.
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