Geog exam - river deltas and estuaries!?

Question

Can someone please explain the difference between a delta and an estuary!! I have my exam tomorrow and im confused!

Thanks :)

Answer 1

delta looks like a tree, the river branching out into many small trickles just before it reaches the sea

estuary is just one exit of the river into the sea, when it doesnt 'branch out'

or so i think

Answer 2

deltas are build up of silt and sand where a river empties into a body of water which can be said to be still. an estuary is a drowned valley that is subject to tides where a river empties into another body of water.mainly an ocean or sea.

Answer 3

Simple to do look at the web for pictures of the Nile Delta

Thames Estuary keep it simple pictures speak a thousand words though I would use less in an exam! and the images make it so simple to visualise then use your own words to describe it mentally.

Good luck in the exam

Answer 4

delta is a greek letter... capital delta is shaped like a triangle

just a bit of background to help you remember :-)

a river delta looks like a triangle from above the river enters at the apex and drains in a complex group of channels, leaving lots of small islands ....... the base of the triangle is the edge of the sea. a delta forms because the river is very sluggish and slow, and deposits the silt and sediment that it picked up i  the higher reaches of the river channel

Answer 5

An estuary is where a river meets the sea/ocean and spreads out in a triangle shape.

A delta is where it shallows and forms islands and distributaries into the sea/ocean (Think the river Nile!!!)