Which landform forms at the river mouth as sediment is deposited, often fan-shaped?

Which landform forms at the river mouth as sediment is deposited, often fan-shaped?

• A. Delta
• B. Estuary
• C. Mouth
• D. Confluence

Answer: (A)

At the end of a river, when the water enters a still body of water, its speed drops. That loss of energy lets the suspended sediment settle out and accumulate near the mouth. Over time, the sediment builds outward into the water body, and the river channels split into smaller distributaries, spreading sediment over a broad area in a fan-like pattern. This creates a delta, a landform formed by ongoing deposition at the river’s mouth. Estuaries are tidal mouths where freshwater mixes with seawater, not the fan-shaped sediment deposit that builds a delta. The term mouth just refers to the river’s end, and a confluence is where two rivers meet. So the environment described—the deposition of sediment at the river mouth forming a fan-shaped landmass—fits a delta.

At the end of a river, when the water enters a still body of water, its speed drops. That loss of energy lets the suspended sediment settle out and accumulate near the mouth. Over time, the sediment builds outward into the water body, and the river channels split into smaller distributaries, spreading sediment over a broad area in a fan-like pattern. This creates a delta, a landform formed by ongoing deposition at the river’s mouth. Estuaries are tidal mouths where freshwater mixes with seawater, not the fan-shaped sediment deposit that builds a delta. The term mouth just refers to the river’s end, and a confluence is where two rivers meet. So the environment described—the deposition of sediment at the river mouth forming a fan-shaped landmass—fits a delta.