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    16 - Nile Delta

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    Haris Khokhar
    The document summarizes the key physical features and processes shaping the Nile Delta region of Egypt. It notes that the delta was built up over 4000 years by sediment deposition from the Nile River at its mouth, but that construction of the Aswan Dam and rising sea levels have led to increased coastal erosion. Features like the Rosetta Promontory were extended by past deposition but are now eroding. Lagoons and salt marshes have also decreased as the balance of processes has shifted from deposition to erosion.

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    16 - Nile Delta

    Uploaded by

    Haris Khokhar
    27 views28 pages
    The document summarizes the key physical features and processes shaping the Nile Delta region of Egypt. It notes that the delta was built up over 4000 years by sediment deposition from the Nile River at its mouth, but that construction of the Aswan Dam and rising sea levels have led to increased coastal erosion. Features like the Rosetta Promontory were extended by past deposition but are now eroding. Lagoons and salt marshes have also decreased as the balance of processes has shifted from deposition to erosion.

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    The document summarizes the key physical features and processes shaping the Nile Delta region of Egypt. It notes that the delta was built up over 4000 years by sediment deposition from the Nile River at its mouth, but that construction of the Aswan Dam and rising sea levels have led to increased coastal erosion. Features like the Rosetta Promontory were extended by past deposition but are now eroding. Lagoons and salt marshes have also decreased as the balance of processes has shifted from deposition to erosion.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PPTX, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pptx, pdf, or txt
    27 views28 pages

    16 - Nile Delta

    Uploaded by

    Haris Khokhar
    The document summarizes the key physical features and processes shaping the Nile Delta region of Egypt. It notes that the delta was built up over 4000 years by sediment deposition from the Nile River at its mouth, but that construction of the Aswan Dam and rising sea levels have led to increased coastal erosion. Features like the Rosetta Promontory were extended by past deposition but are now eroding. Lagoons and salt marshes have also decreased as the balance of processes has shifted from deposition to erosion.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PPTX, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pptx, pdf, or txt
    of 28

    The Nile Delta

    Saudi Arabia

    AFRI
    CA
    Saudi Arabia

    AFRI
    CA
    Almost all of Egypt's population live within the
    floodplains of the river.

    Capital Cairo located at the entrance to the Delta


    region.

    Aswan High Dam completed in July 1970 – major impact


    on flow of river and sediment supply to the lower Nile.
    Physical factors
    • Tides
    • Waves
    • Geology
    • Currents
    The Nile Delta
    1. Shade blue the three lakes
    2. Label
    Abu Quir Bay
    Rosetta Promontory
    Burullus headland
    Gamasa
    Damieta Promontory
    a natural salt or mineral deposit left after the evaporation of a body of water

    Sabkha is an Arabic word for a flat depression, usually close to water, and covered with salt crust.
    Alexandria

    Carbonate Ridge – sedimentary rock


    Abu Quir Bay

    Industrial area – 22 factories covering canning,


    textiles, paper manufacture and fertilisers
    Water pollution is a major problem

    Lake Idku
    Rosetta Promontory
    Mouth of the River Nile
    Rosetta Promontory
    Mouth of the River Nile

    Rosetta Promontory
    Burullus bar – 65km

    Lagoon is separated from the Mediterranean Sea by a narrow sandy bar covered by sand dunes,
    sabkhas
    Gamasa

    Sheltered area – significant area of deposition


    Lake Manzilah

    Raz El Bar
    How are
    landforms
    inter-related?
    Rosetta promontory
    • Result of deposition where the Nile enters the Mediterranean.
    • NW winds mean that the promontory is exposed to incoming
    waves = erosion
    • Longshore drift and ocean currents carry eroded sediment to the
    east along the outer edge of the Delta
    • Leads to deposition. In the past = growth of the spits / bars across
    the Burullus lagoon.
    • Today – the NW facing beaches are being eroded again (lack of
    sediment from the Nile means erosion exceeds deposition). This
    sediment is moved and deposited in the more sheltered water
    around Gamasa.
    Similar situation around the Damietta Promontory:
    Built up by deposition of fluvial sediment (alluvium) by the Nile
    Eroded as faces the NW winds
    Material transferred east to build up the spits / bars across the Manzala
    lagoon – although now eroding.

    Along the whole coast line, on shore winds have blown sand inland to
    create the sand dunes

    Growth of spits and bars has created sheltered water and allowed salt
    marshes to form
    Facts and stats
    Context
    6650km long
    Passes through 11 countries: Democratic Republic of the Congo, Tanzania, Burundi, Rwanda, Uganda, Kenya, Ethiopia, Eritrea, South Sudan, Republic of the Sudan, and Egypt.
    Suspended sediment load is 30% clay, 40% silt, 30% fine sand
    91.3 million tonnes is the total sediment yield for the Blue Nile basin in Ethiopia
    Distributaries begin at Cairo 160km inland
    Depth of alluvial deposits is 9.6m in the Cairo region

    Processes
    NW & N winds 55-60% of the time. NE 8% of the time -> eastward movement of water and sediment
    Seasonal surface velocity. Around 11cm/s in summer, 5cm/s in autumn, 23cm/s in winter, 8cm/s in spring

    Landforms
    Alexandria – limestone headland
    Abu Quir Bay – 63km wide
    Rosetta promontory – most fragile segment of the Nile Delta coast. 100m/y erosion rate. Suffering from a continuous erosion problem. Managed with nine rubble mound groynes.
    5km sea wall 1991
    Burullus bar and lagoon – 65km long. The lagoon is separated from the Mediterranean along most of its length, but is connected with the open sea by a narrow channel (about 50m
    wide) near the village of El Burge, in the east. As a result, there is a strong salinity gradient from east to west, with the western part of the lagoon containing relatively fresh water
    Gamasa beach – acts as a natural defence against erosion

    Change
    Number of distributaries has reduced from 7 to 2
    Deposition used to dominate – the Rosetta and Damietta promontories have extended northwards into the Med sea over the past 4000 years
    Today, the balance of processes has changed – erosion is now dominate due to:
    • Aswan dam was built in 1964. Depth of alluvial deposits is 4m.
    • Rate of erosion 148m/yr
    • Rising sea levels of 1.2mm/yr
    Changes over time - summary
    • Sea level rises have reduced the delta’s size over the last 4000 years
    • Number of distributaries has reduced from 7 to 2
    • Lagoons and salt marshes have decreased in area
    • Deposition used to dominate – the Rosetta and Damietta promontories have extended
    northwards into the Med sea over the past 4000 years
    • Eastwards LSD and deposition to the east of the two main Nile branches has lead to the
    build up / growth of spits and bars which enclose the Burullus and Manzala lagoons.
    • Today, the balance of processes has changed – erosion is now dominate due to:
    • Aswan Dam has reduced the supply of sediment to delta – sediment in the Nile is
    now trapped behind the dam
    • Sea level rise means the coastal edge (??frontal plain) is being eroded
    •Increased use / installation of coastal defences e.g. Rosetta promontory
    •Increased erosion being seen on the seaward edge of the spits / bars surrounding the
    Burullus and Manzala lagoons.
    Summary of Key Factors
    Factor North Yorkshire Nile Delta
    Waves Very important Very important
    Wind Very important Very important
    Geology Very important Less significant
    Tides Quite important Less significant
    Ocean Currents Not important Quite important

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