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Chapter 14: Problem 19

What is a river delta? What are the various deltaic forms? Give some examples.

Short Answer

Expert verified
A river delta is a sediment-rich landform at the mouth of a river. There are three main types of river deltas: arcuate (e.g., Nile Delta), bird's foot (e.g., Mississippi River Delta), and cuspate (e.g., Tiber Delta).

Step by step solution

01

Definition of River Delta

A river delta is a landform that forms from deposition of sediment carried by a river as the flow leaves its mouth and enters slower-moving or static water. This occurs where a river enters an ocean, sea, estuary, lake, reservoir, or (more rarely) another river that cannot transport away the supplied sediment.
02

Types of Deltaic Forms

There are primarily three types of river deltas classified as per the dominance of a particular erosional force: Arcuate (or fan-shaped), Bird's Foot (or radiated), and Cuspate (or tooth-shaped)
03

Examples of Deltas

The arcuate or fan-shaped deltas include the Nile Delta. Bird’s foot deltas, named for their claw-like shape, include the Mississippi Delta. Cuspate deltas, which have a pointed, tooth-like shape, include the Tiber Delta.

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