Particle tracking to examine sediment dynamics in a Mississippi River delta diversion

In this article, "Observational and numerical particle tracking to examine sediment dynamics in a Mississippi River delta diversion," the authors use observational and numerical particle tracking to investigate the behavior of riverine sand and silt as it enters and passes through the West Bay diversion receiving-basin located on the lowermost Mississippi River delta, USA. River diversions may serve as useful restoration tools along coastal deltas experiencing land loss due to high rates of relative sea-level rise and the disruption of natural sediment supply. Diversions mitigate land loss by serving as new sediment sources for land building areas in basins proximal to river channels. However, because of the paucity of active diversions, little is known about how diversion receiving-basins evacuate or retain the sediment required to build new land.