Particularly hard-hit are the small islands in Cat Bay, part of the larger Barataria Bay on the west side of the Mississippi Delta in Louisiana. Satellite imagery shows how fast this has happened:
Cat Island in 2006. Vibrant vegetation covers both parts of the island. |
Cat Island in 2012. The once-thriving vegetation appears mostly dead, and the island has shrunk significantly in just two years. |
This 30-year timelapse sequence of Landsat satellite imagery vividly illustrates the problem facing Louisiana and the nation. As the barrier islands melt away, the bays and marshes of the Mississippi Delta -- hosting a vast, aging network of oil and gas pipelines and other infrastructure -- are increasingly exposed to hurricanes and other severe storms. Can we fix this problem in time?
Yee gads! Who can deny this? The next Katrina and no more barrier islands in this area!
ReplyDeleteYou can see a much more dramatic view in the area of the Chandeleur Islands (just east of Mississippi River) or the migration of Horn and Ship islands on the Mississippi gulf Coast. Also curious to see development expanding at the Pascagoula Port. (Might be nice to see some labels for those not familiar with the gulf region)
ReplyDeleteGreat visual! Thanks!