Nile Delta

• NE coast of Egypt

  Is 150km - River is 6,650km
• Low river discharge and high sediment, low energy levels
• Low energy wind = low energy waves
• Foreshore Plain
• Foreshore Plain

  Elongated ridges from deposition - salt marshes and lagoons formed by bars
• Frontal Plain

  South of foreshore plain

  limestone outcrops and clay deposits
• Sandy Zones

  Sand dunes and sheets of sand

  Prevailing north-west winds - sediment eastwards
• Waves approach went and north west 60% of the time
• Prevailing winds create most longshore drift and most deposition
• Interrelationships

  Wind energy - wave energy - sediment load + longshore drift = bays and bars
• Interrelationships

  Saltmarsh and lagoon behind a bar

  Burullus Bay and Abu Quir Bay
• Interrelationships

  Sand stores eg. bar, beach, dune

  Deposition on delta front

  Estuarine landforms on distributaries
• Location of the Nile Delta


  • begins approx. 20km North of Cairo

  • extends for 150km into Mediterranean Sea
• How long is the Nile River?

  6650km
• How big is the catchment area of Nile River?

  3 million km3
• What is the average rainfall along the Nile River?

  • low mean annual rainfall

  • 600mm
• What is the average discharge of Nile River?

  • lowest of all great rivers

  • 3000m3/s
• What is the sediment load of River Nile?


  • large sediment load

  • 40% silt, 30% clay, 30% fine sand

  • average sediment yield is 4 tonnes/ha/year
• Why is the Nile Delta a low energy environment?

  1. low river discharge and high sediment capacity

  2. kinetic wave energy is low due to low fetch across Mediterranean Sea

  3. low wind energy results in low kinetic wave energy as delta is in area of semi-permanent high pressure zone 30 degrees North of equator
• Which 3 parts of the delta divided into?

  foreshore plain, frontal plain, sandy zone
• describe the foreshore plain


  • has elongated ridges that run almost parallel to current shoreline

  • has lagoons, salt marshes and alluvial deposits in the depression in between (alluvium is loose clay or silt)
• What are the landforms on the foreshore plain?


  1. elongated ridges created by deposition by backwash that run parallel to shoreline

  2. salt marshes due to low energy environment and high sediment supply from river

  3. lagoons formed by formation of bars
• describe the features of the frontal plain


  • located South of the foreshore plain
• What landforms are found on the frontal plain?


  1. limestone outcrops (limestone visible above water surface) due to lack of erosion from low energy environment

  2. clay deposits that have been deposited before silt and sand due to flocculation
• describe features of the sandy zone

  • composed of a variety of different sand formations such as sheets, dunes and hummocks
• What landforms are found on the sandy zone?


  1. sheets of sand deposited last of all sediment

  2. sand dunes formed by deposition of sand in concentrated area
• define distributary


  a branch of river that does not return to the main river after leaving it
• What are the names of the 2 main distributaries of the Nile Delta?


  Damietta and Rosetta
• How have the distributaries changed over time?


  the delta used to have many more of them, but they were lost due to flood control, silting and changing relief
• How does sediment influence the formation of the landforms?

  1. constant supply of sediment to the delta is crucial for maintaining it so it can retain its sediment budget

  2. sediment supply provides input for geomorphic processes to shape depositional landforms eg. Abu Quir Bay and Burullus Bar

  3. clay sediment undergoes flocculation as saltwater and freshwater meet

  4. rate of fluvial deposition has exceeded rate of marine erosion for over 3000 years, depositing 120m tonnes of silt onto delta per year
• How does wind affect the formation of landforms on the delta?


  1. BIGGEST influence in shaping landscape

  2. low wind speed due to low fetch across Mediterranean Sea, transferring less energy to waves, and are less erosive

  3. waves usually constructive with a larger swash, forming depositional landforms eg. Burullus Bar

  4. prevailing wind direction is at an angle to the coastline, allowing LSD to create features in Easterly direction

  5. winds blow sand from sand dunes onto Abu Quir Bay, building up the beach
• How do tides affect the formation of landforms on the delta?

  1. low tidal range allows longshore drift to dominate instead of nearshore currents for transportation of sediment allowing formation of drift-aligned features
• How do currents influence the formation of landforms on the delta?


  1. the parallel bar systems are generated by the dominant eastward longshore current as well as LSD

  2. the crescentic bars are formed where Abu Quir headlands prevents longshore drift, and rip currents form these instead
• How are spits/bars interrelated with other depositional landforms?


  underwater ridges, spits and bars provide friction to waves and energy is reduced, so more depositional landforms may form
• How are bars and lagoons interrelated?

  bars lead to lagoons in the foreshore plain due to sheltering
• How are spits/bars and salt marshes interrelated?


  bars and spits have sheltered areas behind them made of saltwater, so flocculation is more likely to occur, leading to friction and more deposition and salt marshes grow
• How are promontories and wave interrelated?

  wave refraction around the promontories causes wave energy to concentrate on promontories
• How are is the Rosetta promontory and Abu Quir Bay interrelated?


  1. Rosetta promontory creates a headland features, which waves refract around

  2. wave energy is concentrated on the promontory, increasing rates of erosion

  3. provides a source of sediment for longshore drift to move it into Abu Quir Bay

  4. builds up the beach
• Rosetta promontory features...
• What formed the Rosetta promontory?

  fluvial deposition as the Nile River enters the sea