Louisiana Geology

Questions for Review

Opening of the Gulf
  1. What is the origin of the Gulf of Mexico?
  2. How did the origin of the Gulf influence the location of the Mississippi River? the New Madrid Fault Zone?
  3. What is the origin of the Louanne Salt? Why is it important to the oil industry?

    Development of the Mississippi River
  4. What is the history of the Mississippi Delta? (changing of location, etc.)
  5. Explain what happened at Old River. (Shreve's cutoff, the Control Structure, the 1973 flood, etc.)
    Development of New Orleans
  6. When was the levee south of New Orleans blown up? Why?
  7. What part of New Orleans was settled first? Why?
  8. What was the area where UNO is located like before it was developed?
  9. What are the canals for that lead into Lake Pontchartrain?
  10. Why is subsidence so severe in New Orleans? What part of the city (in terms of its geologic history) has the worst subsidence? the least?
  11. What used to be at West End? Why is the subsidence along West End Boulevard so severe?
  12. How are New Orleans homes typically constructed?