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Reply #1: The answer is probably yes
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jpak
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Mon May-16-11 08:50 AM
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1. The answer is probably yes |
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The size of the Dead Zone is correlated with spring/summer discharge volume of the Mississippi River - and especially when flooding occurs in the Corn Belt after fertilizers have been applied (this elevates dissolved inorganic nitrogen and phosphorus concentrations).
The sheer volume of water entering the Gulf will produce a large surface lens of freshwater that will enhance stratification as well.
The only saving grace may be uptake/immobilization of Mississippi-borne nutrients in the Atchafalaya Basin (which retains much of its historical floodplains/bayous/marshes). That process, however, will depend on the transit time of water in the Atchafalaya system - too fast and little uptake/immobilization will occur - very slow = lots.
Expect a big summer Dead Zone that will only dissapate after hurricane passage.
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