Deltas

Landforms of Fluvial Deposition

Definition:
(4) A delta is a flat area made of aluvium deposited by a river
when it enters an area of slow moving water such as a lake
(lacustrine delta) or a sea (marine delta).
Explanation:
For a delta to form, a river must have a large load of sediment.
(2) When a river overflows it deposits its sediment along the
banks of the river, this sediment builds up over time leading to
the formation of deltas.
Example:
(2) Two examples of deltas can be seen at Lough Tay in
Wicklow and at the River Ganges in India.
Process:
Deposition
(2) When a river enters a sea or lake its velocity decreases, as a
result, the river loses its energy and begins to deposit its load.
Beds:
Bottomset Beds
(2) Bottomset beds are horizontal layers of sediment in a delta,
found furthest from the river mouth, and predominantly formed
of flocculated clay sediment.
These sediments are carried furthest out to sea and deposited
ahead of the main delta.

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Foreset Beds
(2) The foreset beds consist of thick layers of slightly coarser
material and are deposited closer to the river mouth.
(2) They lie on the bottomset beds and slope steeply seawards,
and as more and more material is deposited, the delta advances.
Topset Beds
(2) The topset beds consist of a mixture of materials that are
deposited nearest to the land.
(2) The river channel becomes choked with sediment and the
river is forced to divide into a number of separate channels
called distributaries.
Marine Deltas:
Arcuate Delta
(2) Arcuate deltas are triangular in shape and consist of fairly
course materials.
(2) These develop where currents are fairly strong, keeping the
outer edge of the delta straight. (The Nile Delta)
Birds Foot Delta
(2) Birds foot deltas have a relatively small number of
distributaries and get their name as each distributary extends out
into the sea, like the claws of a birds foot.
(2) These deltas consist of very fine materials and levees build
up along the sides of the distributaries.
(2) The Mississippi Delta extends seawards by about 2 metres
per year.
Estuarine Delta
Estuarine deltas do not yet extend beyond the coastline.
(2) These deltas consist of sediments that have been deposited in
the shallow water along the sides of the estuary. (Rhine Estuary)

Deltas
Diagrams:
(4)