The Niger Delta and Sea-Level Rise

Effective sea-level rise and deltas: Causes of change and human dimension implications

“…Subsidence in the delta is attributed to the extraction of oil, which provides greater that 90% of Nigeria's export income. Ibe, 1996;Collins and Evans, 1986 This sediment trapping has resulted in a sharp decrease in sediment delivery to the delta. Coastal erosion, wetland loss and saltwater intrusion into delta aquifers have all been attributed to the decreased sediment input and associated subsidence.…”

Data, knowledge, and modeling challenges for science-informed management of river deltas

“…Typically, rates are highest around cities 78,158,164 , and particularly cities in Asia 68,165 , which greatly increases potential socioeconomic impacts of land subsidence. Where deltas hold reserves of hydrocarbon such as oil and gas, such as in the Niger 82,166 or Mississippi Delta 81,167 , hydrocarbon extraction can further accelerate land subsidence. Total land subsidence, especially in unconsolidated deltaic settings, is the cumulative result of various subsurface processes acting at different depths, time scales and spatial extents 6,168 .…”

Spatial and Temporal Variations in Shoreline Changes of the Niger Delta during 1986–2019

“…Orthorectified multispectral satellite data from Landsat for the years 1986, 1999, 2003, 2008, and 2011, as well as Sentinel 2 images for 2015 and 2019, were downloaded via the USGS Earth Explorer repository. An initial reconnaissance survey of available satellite data for the study site revealed a total absence/incompleteness of satellite images during The Niger delta coast is a cyclone and storm-free environment, mainly influenced by south-westerly winds and swell waves that originate in the storm centres within the Atlantic Ocean [28,40]. The delta region on average (1998-2007 period) receives ~2300 mm/year of rain with an actual evapotranspiration of ~600 mm/year [41].…”

“…Peak fluvial discharges occur during the wet season months of September and October, while between December and May, the flow discharge is usually at a minimum [36]. The distributary channels cut the delta coastline morphology into a series of contiguous beach-ridge barrier complexes whose dimensions typically range between 15-20 km long and 3-5 km in width [40,47]. The delta has previously been characterised into western delta, arcuate (main) delta, and eastern delta based on its morphology and sedimentary characteristics [29,37], although a two-sector division either side of the centrally located longshore current divergence point [43,46,47] seems to be more appropriate.…”