CASE STUDY: low energy coastline (Nile Delta)

Question 1

How long has fluvial deposition exceeded marine erosion?

Answer 1

fluvial depostition has exceeded marine erosion for over 3000 years

Question 2

How long is the Nile river?

Answer 2

The Nile River is the longest river in the world, at 6,650km

Question 3

What is the catchment area of the Nile River?

Answer 3

Catchment area is over 3,000,000km squared

Question 4

What is the av. river discharge of the Nile River?

Answer 4

The av. river discharge is less than 3000m cubed/s

Question 5

What is the catchment area of a river?

Answer 5

the area of land bounded by watersheds draining into a river (measured in square kilometres)

Question 6

What is river discharge?

Answer 6

the volume of water flowing through a river channel (measured in cubic metres per second)

Question 7

Suspended sediment load that the river carries is

Answer 7

30% clay, 30% fine sand + 40% silt

Question 8

when does the delta begin to split into distributaries?

Answer 8

the delta begins to split into distributaries at Cairo, more than 160km inland

Question 9

why was the Aswan Dam built?

Answer 9

• to prevent serious flooding of the Nile

- to have an ample supply of water in case of a drought

Question 10

when was the Aswan Dam built?

Answer 10

1964

Question 11

What changes have there been to the sediment budget?

Answer 11

• Aswan Dam has created imbalance between erosion + deposition rates in delta
• accelerated erosion due to lack of deposition - 148m/year
• rising sea levels in Mediterranean of 1.2mm/year = higher erosion rates as deeper water = larger waves w more energy + can reach further inland