It was caused by high levels of nutrient runoff into the Mississippi River that left the water emptying into the Gulf of Mexico with high levels of nitrogen. High levels of nitrogen lead to overgrowth of algae and other vegetation that sucks much of the oxygen from the water and kills fish.
Full Answer
Do the Mississippi River and the Gulf of Mexico Mix?
While the above-quoted Facebook posts claim that these waters do not mix, they do — and the water from the Mississippi River has a major effect on marine life in the Gulf of Mexico: Nutrient overloading and algal blooms lead to eutrophication, which has been shown to reduce benthic biomass and biodiversity.
What happened to the Mississippi River?
The Mississippi River water rounded the tip of Florida and traveled up the Southeast coast to the latitude of Georgia before finally mixing in so thoroughly with the ocean that it could no longer be detected by MODIS. The images were captured by the MODIS on NASA’s Aqua satellite on (top to bottom) July 30, August 4, and August 9.
Does this photo show water from Gulf of Mexico and Mississippi River?
A photo that shows a clear line separating bright blue water from murky green water is rumored to show that water from the Gulf of Mexico and Mississippi River don’t mix.
What causes hypoxia in the Mississippi River?
Seventy percent of nutrient loads that cause hypoxia are a result of agricultural runoff caused by rain washing fertilizer off of the land and into streams and rivers. Additionally, 12 million people live in urban areas that border the Mississippi, and these areas constantly discharge treated sewage into rivers.
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Why does the Mississippi river and the Gulf not mix?
According to the US Environmental Protection Agency, as “nutrient-laden water from the Mississippi flows into the Gulf, this freshwater is less dense and remains above the denser saline seawater”. The freshwater is also warmer than the deeper ocean water, “further contributing to the stratification”.
Does the Mississippi river ever mix with the Gulf?
But what happens to the water when it enters the Gulf of Mexico? In the summer months, a large portion of the Mississippi River outflow heads southeast into the Gulf of Mexico.
Why does river water not mix with sea water?
0:112:48Fresh Water Meets Sea Water – Boundary Explained - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipMaking it look like there are two separate bodies of water not mixing. Now it may appear like theMoreMaking it look like there are two separate bodies of water not mixing. Now it may appear like the freshwater is pushing back the seawater. And creating this boundary between the two waters.
Does the Mississippi river meet the ocean?
The Mississippi River has the world's fourth-largest drainage basin ("watershed" or "catchment"). The basin covers more than 1,245,000 square miles (3,220,000 km2), including all or parts of 32 U.S. states and two Canadian provinces. The drainage basin empties into the Gulf of Mexico, part of the Atlantic Ocean.
Why is the Gulf of Mexico water not clear?
Why is Gulf water not clear? Due to steering currents in the northern Gulf of Mexico that water sometimes makes its way to the beaches of Baldwin and Mobile counties. As a result you get water that isn't very clear it looks more like what you get along the East Coast.
Why are Mississippi beaches Brown?
Waters of the Mississippi Sound are clean but brownish in color. This is because the waters are diluted by other water from the Pascagoula and Pearl rivers, which drain into the sound. Clear blue-green waters can be found in the Gulf of Mexico bordering the barrier islands located off the coast.
Why do two rivers not mix?
Why don't the waters of two rivers mix in a confluence? This is due to the differences in temperature, speed and water density of the two rivers.
Which ocean is not salt water?
All oceans are known to have salt in a dissolved state, but the only oceans that have no salt content are the Arctic and Antarctic Oceans.
Where does Mississippi River meet the Gulf?
the Gulf of MexicoThe Lower Mississippi flows from Cairo, Illinois, for 1,000 miles to its entrance to the sea at the Gulf of Mexico. This is called its mouth.
How deep is the Mississippi River at its deepest?
200′Mississippi River / Max depthFrom its source, Lake Itasca, to its end, the Gulf of Mexico, the Mississippi River drops 1,475 feet. The deepest point on the Mississippi River is located near Algiers Point in New Orleans and is 200 feet in depth.
Can you swim in the Mississippi River?
He said the Mississippi is safe to swim and fish in, as long as people are safe about it. Showering after swimming in the river and wearing a life vest are recommended. "It's safe. In every river you're going to have a little bit of pollution and the Mississippi is no different," said Kean.
Why is it called Mississippi River?
In 1758, the French ethnographer Antoine-Simon Le Page du Pratz published The History of Louisiana, in which he wrote that the Mississippi River's name meant “the ancient father of rivers.” Though his etymology was off—the Ojibwe words that gave us Mississippi (Misi-ziibi) actually mean “long river”—the idea has proven ...
What is the Mississippi River?
In terms of freshwater flow, the Mississippi River is the United States’ major contributor, draining over 40 percent of the U.S. land surface and ranking 8th in the world in terms of volume of water discharged to the ocean. But what happens to the water when it enters the Gulf of Mexico?
Where does the Mississippi River outflow?
In the summer months, a large portion of the Mississippi River outflow heads southeast into the Gulf of Mexico. In summer 2004, scientists combined satellite images of the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic Ocean with ship-based measurements of salt content and water chemistry to track the spread of a large plume of Mississippi River freshwater ...
What river flows into the Gulf of Mexico?
In the summer months, a large portion of the Mississippi River outflow heads southeast into the Gulf of Mexico. Image of the Day for September 22, 2005. Image of the Day Water.
What is the biological influence of freshwater?
Freshwater flowing off the land surface into the ocean is rich in nutrients and organic matter that influence the biology of the ocean—everything from seagrasses, to coral reefs, to single-celled ocean plants called phytoplankton.
Did the plume of the Gulf of Mexico mix with the surrounding sea water?
The images demonstrate that the plume did not mix with the surrounding sea water immediately. Instead, it stayed intact as it flowed through the Gulf of Mexico, into the Straits of Florida, and entered the Gulf Stream.
What percentage of the Mississippi River is farm land?
Forty-one percent of the continental United States (1.2 million square miles) drains into the Mississippi River and then out to the Gulf of Mexico. The majority of the land in Mississippi’s watershed is farm land. Seventy percent of nutrient loads that cause hypoxia are a result of agricultural runoff caused by rain washing fertilizer off ...
What causes hypoxia in Mississippi?
Seventy percent of nutrient loads that cause hypoxia are a result of agricultural runoff caused by rain washing fertilizer off of the land and into streams and rivers . Additionally, 12 million people live in urban areas that border the Mississippi, and these areas constantly discharge treated sewage into rivers.
How many tons of nutrients are delivered into the Gulf of Mexico every year?
About 1.7 million tons of these nutrients are deliverd by rivers into the Gulf of Mexico every year. This huge influx of nutrients causes massive phytoplankton blooms to occur, this in turn leads to a large increase in zooplankton that feed on phytoplankton.
What causes the dead zone in the Gulf of Mexico?
This video captured a fluctuating dead zone in the Gulf of Mexico, which is caused when high-nutrient water full of nitrogen and phosphorus from the Mississippi River pours into the Gulf. That leads to large algae blooms, altered food chains, and hypoxic (oxygen deficient) waters:
Does the Mississippi River mix with the Gulf of Mexico?
Subsequent postings of the image included an additional (misspelled) claim, that this lack of mixing is proof of God’s existence: The Mississippi River meets the Gulf of Mexico. The two bodies of water never mix with each other; allowing the Gulf of Mexico to retain its clear, blue color. Simply amazing!
Does the Mississippi River affect marine life?
While the above-quoted Facebook posts claim that these waters do not mix, they do — and the water from the Mississippi River has a major effect on marine life in the Gulf of Mexico: Nutrient overloading and algal blooms lead to eutrophication, which has been shown to reduce benthic biomass and biodiversity.
Where does the Mississippi River meet the Gulf?
The meme has been shared almost 50,000 times. It shows water from the Mississippi River flowing into the Gulf of Mexico, south of the US state of Louisiana. The photo comes from a YouTube video posted on 13 November 2015 by offshore fishing magazine ...
What river is in the dead zone?
The caption to a similar photo published by Marlin magazine on 22 July 2014 says: “The Mississippi River and Gulf of Mexico come together to form a ‘dead zone’, where the difference in colours is noticeable.”
Is Mississippi freshwater less dense than seawater?
According to the US Environmental Protection Agency, as “nutrient-laden water from the Mississippi flows into the Gulf, this freshwater is less dense and remains above the denser saline seawater”.