Mississippi Fan

The Mississippi Fan is a massive underwater sediment deposit located in the Gulf of Mexico, shaped like a fan spreading out from the Mississippi River's delta. It forms as river sediments—and sometimes other materials—flow into the ocean and settle, creating a thick, layered deposit over thousands of years. This underwater feature is important because it influences ocean currents, supports diverse marine life, and is a key location for oil and gas exploration. In essence, the Mississippi Fan is a huge, natural sediment build-up that results from the Mississippi River’s long-term sediment delivery into the Gulf of Mexico.