Space Science and Engineering Center

This project is no longer active. This information is historical.

The coastal Louisiana Geomorphology (CLAGEO) project investigates the causes of erosion and deposition of sediment along Louisiana's coast. Major issues affecting coastal management in Louisiana and the Mississippi River Delta include coastal land loss, conflicting needs of coastal industries, and preservation of the valuable harvest of living resources. CIMSS scientists, with colleagues at Louisiana State University's Coastal Studies Institute, monitor sediment transport using aircraft, satellite, and in situ data. This study provides a unique understanding of coastal response to variant atmospheric forcing, establishing data sets upon which coastal circulation and sediment management decisions can be based. This database is being built from long-term records and analysis of local wind forcing, tides, current regime, river discharge, sediment dispersal patterns, patterns of erosion and deposition at various locations along the coast, and remotely sensed data.