A Tale of Two Deltas: Dam-Induced Hydro-Morphological Evolution of the Volta River Delta (Ghana) and Yellow River Delta (China)

Li, Dongxue; Gao, Weilun; Shao, Dongdong; Amenuvor, Mawusi; Tong, Yao; Cui, Baoshan

doi:10.3390/w13223198

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A Tale of Two Deltas: Dam-Induced Hydro-Morphological Evolution of the Volta River Delta (Ghana) and Yellow River Delta (China)

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State Key Laboratory of Water Environment Simulation & School of Environment, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China

Yellow River Estuary Wetland Ecosystem Observation and Research Station, Ministry of Education, Shandong 257500, China

Research and Development Center for Watershed Environmental Eco-Engineering, Beijing Normal University, Zhuhai 519085, China

Authors to whom correspondence should be addressed.

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This author is a Tang Scholar.

Academic Editor: Georg Umgiesser

Water 2021, 13(22), 3198; https://doi.org/10.3390/w13223198

Received: 8 September 2021 / Revised: 29 October 2021 / Accepted: 6 November 2021 / Published: 11 November 2021

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Ecohyrological Processes, Environmental Effects, and Integrated Regulation of Wetland Ecosystems)

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Abstract

Previous studies mostly focus on an individual delta, or deltas at a global scale, to explore dam effects on deltaic hydrological alteration and morphological evolution, while comparative studies on selected similar deltas remain scarce. In this study, we compare the alteration of river discharge and sediment load, as well as the associated deltaic area and shoreline, of two deltas, namely, the Volta River Delta in Ghana and the Yellow River Delta in China, which are subject to similar forcings and mainstem dam influences. The results show that the sediment loads of the Volta River Delta and Yellow River Delta have decreased abruptly and gradually, respectively, to ~10% of the pre-dam level, presumably due to differences in reservoir capacity and upstream dam location. Sediment decline has led to a decrease of the fluvial dominance ratio, which has also been affected by the river mouth location and shoreline orientation. As a consequence, the area of the Volta River Delta has shifted to a new quasi-equilibrium, whereas the Yellow River Delta has kept prograding. This comparative study provides references for understanding the future evolution of similar deltas around the world. View Full-Text

Keywords: dam regulation; hydrological alteration; morphological evolution; Volta River Delta; Yellow River Delta

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MDPI and ACS Style

Li, D.; Gao, W.; Shao, D.; Amenuvor, M.; Tong, Y.; Cui, B. A Tale of Two Deltas: Dam-Induced Hydro-Morphological Evolution of the Volta River Delta (Ghana) and Yellow River Delta (China). Water 2021, 13, 3198. https://doi.org/10.3390/w13223198

AMA Style

Li D, Gao W, Shao D, Amenuvor M, Tong Y, Cui B. A Tale of Two Deltas: Dam-Induced Hydro-Morphological Evolution of the Volta River Delta (Ghana) and Yellow River Delta (China). Water. 2021; 13(22):3198. https://doi.org/10.3390/w13223198

Chicago/Turabian Style

Li, Dongxue, Weilun Gao, Dongdong Shao, Mawusi Amenuvor, Yao Tong, and Baoshan Cui. 2021. "A Tale of Two Deltas: Dam-Induced Hydro-Morphological Evolution of the Volta River Delta (Ghana) and Yellow River Delta (China)" Water 13, no. 22: 3198. https://doi.org/10.3390/w13223198

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A Tale of Two Deltas: Dam-Induced Hydro-Morphological Evolution of the Volta River Delta (Ghana) and Yellow River Delta (China)

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