Trusted since 2008
LoginRegister
Study resources on Kenyaplex

Get ready-made curriculum aligned revision materials

Exam papers, notes, holiday assignments and topical questions – all aligned to the Kenyan curriculum.

Browse exam papers
Or go directly to:
Class notes Holiday assignments Topical questions Other resources

With examples from Africa, explain the differences between the following river features: (a) Inland delta and alluvial fan. (b) Estuarine delta and an estuary. (c) Bluff and river...

With examples from Africa, explain the differences between the following river features:
(a) Inland delta and alluvial fan.
(b) Estuarine delta and an estuary.
(c) Bluff and river cliff.
(d) Levees and river bank.
(e) River valley and river channel.
(f) Paired terrace and unpaired terrace.
(g) Drainage pattern and drainage system,
(h) Misfit river and deferred river,
(i) Antecedent drainage and superimposed drainage.

Answers

Kavungya
a) Inland delta is formed at any part of the river course before it reaches its
mouth e.g Niger delta in Mali and Okavango delta in Botswana, while an alluvial fan is deposit composed of silt, sand, gravel and boulders found at a point where a river enters a plain from high land e.g. Ewaso Narok fan on river Ewaso Narok in Kenya, kilombero alluvial fan in Tanzania and lumu alluvial fan in Uganda.
b) Estuarine delta: develops at the mouth of a drowned river e.g Zambezi and
volta river deltas
An estuary is a mouth of the river which drains its water in the ocean in one complete channel e.g. river Zaire in democratic republic of Congo
c) A bluff is a blunt, low embankment on the bank of the river as a result of
recession of interlocking spurs due to lateral erosion.
A river cliff is an overhanging undercut river bluff (river bank) due to lateral erosion.
d) Levees and river banks
Levees are temporal raised river banks made of sand deposits on the flood plains between which a river flows. A river bank is an elevated land alongside a river which may either be vertical or sloping towards the river.
e) River valley and river channel
A river valley includes both the cross and long profile of a river including
all the associated features from its source to its mouth, while a river channel is the narrow groove or furrow through which a river flows.
f) Paired terraces and unpaired terraces. Both are associated with river
rejuvenation (renewed erosion of river to cut new channels). Paired terraces have valley levels on the opposite side with equal elevation while in the case of unpaired terraces benches on the opposite sides do not match.
g) Drainage pattern and drainage system. A drainage pattern is the layout or pattern made by the river and its tributaries on the landscape whilst a drainage system develops where rivers either flow in accordance or discordance to the existing rock structure and slope.
h) A misfit river and deferred river
A misfit river is one whose water has been pirated by another powerful river flowing adjacent and on a lower ground.
A misfit river is also referred to as an under fit or beheaded stream. A deferred river is a tributary that flow for long distances parallel to the main stream before joining it due to the presence of the levees.
i) Antecedent drainage and superimposed drainage.
Antecedent drainage is a drainage system where a river maintains its course while the surrounding land is uplifted.
In superimposed drainage a river valley is developed on the former cover of rock which have been exposed and have a completely different structures
Kavungya answered the question on June 7, 2019 at 13:36

Answer Attachments

Next: In what ways can we sustain the process of the hydrological cycle?

Previous: Explain how each of the following lakes were formed : (a) Victoria (b) Tanganyika (c) Chala (d) Sare (e) Kivu

View more Geography Questions and Answers  |  Return to Questions Index

Exams With Marking Schemes

Related Questions