EFFECTS OF RIVER DISCHARGE, WIND STRESS, AND SLOPE EDDIES ON CIRCULATION OF THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER PLUME

ABSTRACT Satellite measurements of suspended sediment, temperature, and chlorophyll aare used in combination with surface current measurements,to investigate surface circulation and structure of the MississippiRiver plume. River discharge changes impact frontal locations, areal extent, and suspended sediment loads of the plume. During high river discharge (> 20,000 m,in winter. East winds; prevalent in autumn, winter, and spring, drive a westward flow of river waters around the delta, linking two isolated shelf regions, and increasing river