20 BEAUTIFUL SATELLITE IMAGES OF RIVER DELTAS AROUND THE WORLD

Patterns from space: beautiful satellite images of river deltas around the world
By The Telegraph, 8 May 2012.

These satellite images of river deltas across the world reveal beautiful sinuous patterns. Seen from space, rivers create paths resembling branching blood vessels or works of modern art as they reach the sea. These images have been coloured to highlight geographical features such as vegetation and flooded areas.

1. A Delta in Betsiboka Estuary, Madagascar

2. The Colorado River Delta in Mexico

"The photos show a variety of forms associated with river deltas," said Dr Helene Burningham, a lecturer in Physical Geography at University College London.

3. A Delta in Bombetoka Bay, Madagascar

"Deltas are formed by the accumulation of sediment at river mouths. The term is derived from the greek letter 'delta', which in its capital form is triangular, a common shape of river deltas."

4. A Delta in Bijagos Archipelago, West Africa

One in every 15 people on the planet - around 500 million people - call river deltas home.

5. A Delta in Mississippi, United States

"Deltas offer a wide range of environments, including valuable wetlands that provide significant ecosystems," said Helene.

6. A Delta in the Ganges, Bangladesh

"The Ganges-Brahmaputra delta covers a large area of southern Bangladesh and east India, and is one of the most densely populated areas in the world."

7. A Delta in the Ganges, Bangladesh

"It is an excellent example of the importance of deltas in providing many resources for human populations, including fertile land for agriculture and access to fishing."

8. A Delta in the Gulf of Papua, Papua New Guinea

Living around deltas can be dangerous, said Helene. "They are inherently low-lying and can be easily eroded. They are vulnerable to sea level rise, which may result in increased flooding."

9. A Delta in the Amazon River, Brazil

"Deposition of more sediment also adds weight to the delta, which can often result in sinking of the delta land-form, thereby increasing the likelihood of flooding."

10. A Delta in the Mackenzie River, Canada

Change to delta systems often occur in cycles, said Helene. "Causes are both natural and human-induced. Sea level rise, often associated with global warming, is probably the most important impact on river deltas."

11. A Delta in the Yukon River, Alaska

12. A Delta in Shanghai and the Yangtze River Estuary

13. A Delta in the Ganges, Bangladesh

14. A Delta in Cairo, Egypt

15. The Volga Delta in Russia

16. The Lena Delta in Russia

17. The Khatanga River Delta in Siberia, Russia

18. The Lena Delta in Russia

19. A Delta in the Amazon River, Brazil

20. The Lena Delta in Russia

Top image: River Delta in Mahajamba, Madagascar (left) and River Delta of Guinea-Bissau (right).

All photo credit: SPL/Barcroft Media

[Source: The Telegraph. Edited. Top image added.]