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Every Map Of This US State Is A Lie And There's A Chilling Reason Behind It

Every Map Of This US State Is A Lie And There's A Chilling Reason Behind It

This needs sorting out.

James Dawson

James Dawson

A new study has discovered that traditional maps of the US state of Louisiana is deceptive due to the state's shrinking coastline.

Researchers at Tulane University have developed a subsidence map of coastal Louisiana.

As part of their study they discovering that rate at which this region is sinking is just over one third of an inch per year.

Credit: GS

"The novel aspect of this study is that it provides a map that shows subsidence rates as observed at the land surface," said Torbjörn Törnqvist, professor of geology and chair of the Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences at Tulane University.

"This sets it apart from previous attempts to map subsidence rates."

Jaap Nienhuis, a postdoctoral fellow in earth and environmental sciences, is the lead author of the study.

Credit: Google Maps

He said that while the present-day subsidence rate averages about nine millimetres, or around a third of an inch each year, there are plenty of variability that mean it's not easy to predict exactly how things will look going forward.

"This information will be valuable for policy decisions about coastal restoration, such as planning of large sediment diversions that are intended to make portions of Louisiana's coast more sustainable," Nienhuis said.

The news is a worry for the US economy as a third of America's oil and gas transport or production happens there.

However, the process of oil and gas removal is part of the reasons why the state is sinking at such a rapid pace. Sea level rises due to climate change and powerful hurricane have also played a role in the problem.

Last year, residents of the region's rapidly sinking Isle de Jean Charles were handed a $48 million grant from the federal government to be used for relocation, the Washington Post reported.

If the trend continues the state will lose an estimated 1,750 square miles by 2064.

Featured Image Credit: Creative Commons

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