Previous Year Question

The delta formed at the mouth of the Mississippi River is known as the Bird's Foot Delta because of its distinctive shape. It is situated along the coast of the Gulf of Mexico in the U.S. state of Louisiana.

Near its mouth, the main river channel divides into several long and narrow distributaries extending towards the sea. Viewed from above, these distributary channels resemble the spread toes or foot of a bird, giving the delta its name.

The delta developed through deposition of enormous quantities of sediments—silt, clay and sand—carried by the Mississippi River. As river velocity decreases near the Gulf of Mexico, sediments are deposited and land develops along the distributary channels.

The modern Mississippi delta is a dynamic coastal system. Subsidence, sea-level rise, hurricanes and human alteration of river sediment supply have also caused significant land loss in parts of its wetlands.