Study finds rapid pre-Katrina sinking in New Orleans

[boise1]

Wednesday, May 31, 2006

(CNN) -- Parts of New Orleans sank rapidly in the three years leading up to Hurricane Katrina, which might have made the already low-lying city even more vulnerable, a new study found.

That may explain why some levees failed during Katrina and raises serious concerns about the future of the city, according to researchers.

The study, released Wednesday by the journal Nature, found that some areas subsided more than an inch per year (28.6 millimeters) between 2002 and 2005. The average decrease was about a quarter inch (5.6 millimeters).

The area around the Mississippi River-Gulf Outlet shipping canal in St. Bernard and Orleans Parishes sunk more than three-quarters of an inch (20 millimeters) per year during that period, according to the study.

http://edition.cnn.com/2006/TECH/science/05/31/sinking.neworleans/

[Skink]

1. W must feel better.

[ixion]

2. raises serious concerns about the future of the city

compare that to Holland's take on the sea levels rising 2ft by 2050. Their attitude is 'no problemo'.

This sounds to me like one of those 'Let's Scrap New Orleans' studies. :eyes:

[hashibabba]

4. Holland offered to help

redesign the levees at NOLA. I wonder if we took them up on that. Probably not. I mean who would be better to help us get a levee system that actually keeps out the water!

[ladjf]

5. I don't know whether it was valid or not. But, there was an article

in the USA today, today that showed that by 2100, the Gulf of Mexico shoreline would be about 10 miles North of New Orleans. This would be the result of global warming. If true, the future is bleak for New Orleans.

[applegrove]

3. Meanwhile.. GOP was out sinking putts.

[IndianaGreen]

6. All coastal cities are in danger of rising sea levels

Last Updated: Friday, 27 January 2006, 02:04 GMT

Sea level rise 'is accelerating'

Global sea levels could rise by about 30cm during this century if current trends continue, a study warns.

Australian researchers found that sea levels rose by 19.5cm between 1870 and 2004, with accelerated rates in the final 50 years of that period.

The research, published in the journal Geophysical Research Letters, used data from tide gauges around the world.

The findings fit within predictions made by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).

The IPCC's Third Assessment Report, published in 2001, projected that the global average sea level would rise by between 9 and 88cm between 1990 and 2100.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/4651876.stm

[Up2Late]

7. And yet, almost NO news about the TOTAL LOSS of the Barrier Islands!

Yes, you heard me, TOTAL LOSS! Look at any Road Atlas or good map of Louisiana that shows the "Brenton National Wildlife Refuge", which is made up of the Chandeleur Islands, North Island, Freemason Island, Curlew Islands, and Brenton Island.

ALL, except for a tiny, muddy remnant of the largest of the Chandeleur Island are completely GONE! I think these were the islands that "the Experts" alway said were the "first line of defense" that helps protect N.O., but they never seem to mention that all of those islands were turned into sandbars or completely washed away, by Katrina and 2004's Hurricane Ivan.

Here, check it out for yourself if you don't believe me. Here's a recent NASA satellite photo:

Date: 2006/146 - 05/26
MODIS Aqua
721

Click Thumbnail

Then click the 250m link under the Infrared (721) Thumbnail (labeled MODIS Aqua 721). You could click the "True color" Thumbnail too, but in the IR photo, it's easier to see what is land and what is just silty water.

Note: This is a large file, you need a Cable modem, Fast DSL, or better connection, other wise, this will take a while to download.

Here's a before Katrina photo to compare it to. It's very difficult to find a cloudless day, in this area in late summer, so this one is from May 28, 2005:

Date: 2005/148 - 05/28
MODIS Terra
721

Click Thumbnail

Below are links to a NOAA website with Areal Photos of the coast and what's left of the Islands, taken in September 2005. One thing that is odd, that I don't think was like this before, in some of the pictures of the Main Chandeleur Island, what I think used to be pictures of just open Ocean (Gulf waters) now has what looks like the shadows of the Islands painted in. You can tell by the fact that their are no breaks in the waves where you see these shadow islands. Hummm.

<http://ngs.woc.noaa.gov/katrina/089A29L_KATRINA.HTM>

<http://ngs.woc.noaa.gov/katrina/089A29P_KATRINA.HTM>

<http://ngs.woc.noaa.gov/katrina/KATRINA0000.HTM>

<http://storms.ngs.noaa.gov/katrina/>

Also, if you are interested in the issue of Wetland loses, check out how much of the lower Mississippi Delta disappeared during Katrina, compared to what's on the Louisiana maps.

(I'll see if I can find a Pre-Ivan, 2004 picture too, if anyone is interested)

[KamaAina]

8. *Four inches* caused the levees to fail?

More like one inch in most areas, over the four-year time frame.

The land sank, and that's why the levees failed. Yeah, that's the ticket! Good thing my wife, Morgan Fairchild, who I've seen naked, wasn't down there! </lovitz> Couldn't have had anything to do with the Army Corps of Engineers' budget being shifted to Iraq, now, could it? :eyes: