title: Wetland sedimentation from hurricanes Katrina and Rita.
abstract: More than 131 x 10(6) metric tons (MT) of inorganic sediments accumulated in coastal wetlands when Hurricanes Katrina and Rita crossed the Louisiana coast in 2005, plus another 281 x 10(6) MT when accumulation was prorated for open water area. The annualized combined amount of inorganic sediments per hurricane equals (i) 12% of the Mississippi River's suspended load, (ii) 5.5 times the inorganic load delivered by overbank flooding before flood protection levees were constructed, and (iii) 227 times the amount introduced by a river diversion built for wetland restoration. The accumulation from hurricanes is sufficient to account for all the inorganic sediments in healthy saltmarsh wetlands.
authors.affiliation: Coastal Ecology Institute, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA 70803, USA. euturne@lsu.edu
authors.forename: R Eugene
authors.initials: RE
authors.lastname: Turner
authors.forename: Joseph J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Baustian
authors.forename: Erick M
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Swenson
authors.forename: Jennifer S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Spicer