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Ganges River Delta Lithograph Answers What are the effects of sediment on a delta? Sediments are held suspended in the river's flow as long as it is moving fast enough to keep the particles suspended. When the river enters the ocean, it slows down and the sediment is dropped out. The deposition of sediments causes the formation and growth of the delta, and explains why it can take such complicated forms. When a channel fills up with its own sediment, it overflows, and a new channel (or channels) form. What might be the sources of the sediment in the Ganges Delta? Sources for sediment in a river are any materials in the riverbed upstream of a given point, or even the surrounding areas, when the river floods and overruns its banks. Since the Ganges is a major river, it can carry down sediment from a large area. Why are these areas white? White areas fringing the coast are usually beaches. In nearly flat areas, salt flats can sometimes form as well. Why is this are vulnerable to tropical cyclones? Cyclones, hurricanes, and typhoons - these are all the same kind of storm, but the different names indicate where they occur: "hurricane" in the Atlantic, "typhoon" in the Pacific, and "cyclone" in the Indian. Tropical storms form due the interactions of warm seas and cool air. The Indian Ocean provides the former, and, during the early autumn, the cooler temperatures on land provide the latter. View the lithograph (pdf). |
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