Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Sand Body Geometry Of The Wax Lake Outlet Delta Atchafalaya Bay, Louisiana, Susan Majersky Fitzgerald

LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses

Deltas forming in Atchafalaya Bay, L-ouisiana, are the result of delta switching by the Mississippi River. The larger Lower Atchafalaya River delta has been heavily manipulated by dredging for navigation, but the Wax Lake Outlet delta is largely undisturbed and an excellent example of a 'bayhead' delta. Combining stratigraphy, aerial photography and digital terrain model data sets, the developmental history of this delta is presented. The Wax Lake Outlet delta is comprised of a typical upward-coarsening sequence, although its prodelta unit is extremely limited. Its plan-view form is typical of deltas developing in low-energy, unstratified, shallow basins. Early developmental processes …