![]() The wedges over the last two years will likely spur more research, said Tor Törnqvist, a geologist at Tulane University in New Orleans. “It’s still very much an open question what’s going to happen in the future of the Mississippi and the degree to which the trends we’ve been seeing over the last few years is the result of climate change,” said Samuel Muñoz, a hydrology expert at Northeastern University. This is the second year in a row that salt water has entered the river, and the fourth time since 1999. ![]() These practices can affect the river’s flow, making it difficult to parse out the influence of climate change compared with other forces. The Mississippi is one of the most heavily engineered rivers in the country, with dams, levees, reservoirs and frequent dredging. That could increase the risk of saltwater intrusion on the river, scientists say - but they aren’t sure by how much.Īnd there are plenty of other human factors to consider. Sea levels are also rapidly rising along the Gulf Coast. It’s still unclear which factor is likely to have the greater influence. That has helped the wedge move upriver from the Gulf because the depleted river flow isn't strong enough to stop it.īut heavy rainfall events are also intensifying, potentially increasing the risk of floods - and preventing salt water from creeping into the channel. Scientists admit that gaps in their understanding about the effects of rising temperatures on the river have left them searching for answers about the saltwater wedge that is slowly moving upriver toward New Orleans, where it could jeopardize freshwater supplies by next month.īut they say there are a number of ways climate change could be affecting the wedge.ĭroughts are expected to grow more frequent and intense across much of the U.S., meaning dry spells like the one affecting the river now could happen more often. ![]() The void comes as climate change threatens to alter the second-longest river in North America through raging floods, rising seas and prolonged drought, having extraordinary effects on the people who live in more than 100 cities and towns nestled along its banks. ![]() There are relatively few scientific studies on how warming is reshaping the Mississippi, and even fewer on saltwater intrusion from the Gulf of Mexico. How will climate change affect the river? CLIMATEWIRE | The drought-driven wedge of salt water creeping up the Mississippi River is deepening a mystery about one of the world's mightiest waterways. ![]()
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