On river cross-sectional change in the Niger Delta

A network of dominantly distributary river systems dissects the superficial deposits of the Niger Delta comprising alluvial sediments. Changes in river cross-sections are instigated mainly by bank failures, fluctuations in discharge, and bed degradation by fluvial processes. The relative importance of factors causing river cross-sectional change was ranked, based on a deterministic sensitivity technique involving partial differentiation of soil properties, flow characteristics, and geometrical parameters of the river channels. Analysis suggests that steep bank inclination and high flow velocity/discharge are the major causes of cross-sectional change, while interlocking of soil grains is the major erosion-restraining factor. Sensitivity coefficients were used further to generate susceptibility indices, indicating the vulnerability of channel cross-sections to change. Based on this, the risks of channel cross-sectional change were compared at different sites.