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

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.

Keywords

• dam regulation
• hydrological alteration
• morphological evolution
• Volta River Delta
• Yellow River Delta