1. Earthshots
  2. Inland Delta of the Niger River, Mali
  3. Southern Delta
Description

The Inland Niger Delta lies in the transition between a seasonally wet-and-dry climate in the south and a mostly dry climate at the edge of the Sahara. Therefore, the northern and southern parts of the delta have different characteristics.

The southern portion of the delta is a vast alluvial plain. The floodplains fill during the flood season. The water level rises between June and November. The water then flows north and the floodplains empty by early the next year.

The rainy season here begins in July and continues through October. The mean annual precipitation is 600 mm (23.6 inches).

(Black stripes run through the 2011 image because of the Scan Line Corrector failure on Landsat 7 in May 2003.)

View Related Imagery & Stories

Location

Nov. 10, 1984, Landsat 5 (path/row 197/50) — Southern Niger River Inland Delta, Mali

Nov. 10, 1984, Landsat 5 (path/row 197/50) — Southern Niger River Inland Delta, Mali

Nov. 28, 1999, Landsat 7 (path/row 197/50) — Southern Niger River Inland Delta, Mali

Nov. 28, 1999, Landsat 7 (path/row 197/50) — Southern Niger River Inland Delta, Mali

Dec. 4, 2010, Landsat 5 (path/row 197/50) — Southern Niger River Inland Delta, Mali

Dec. 4, 2010, Landsat 5 (path/row 197/50) — Southern Niger River Inland Delta, Mali

Nov. 29, 2011, Landsat 7 (path/row 197/50) — Southern Niger River Inland Delta, Mali

Nov. 29, 2011, Landsat 7 (path/row 197/50) — Southern Niger River Inland Delta, Mali

Oct. 28, 2014, Landsat 8 (path/row 197/50) — Southern Niger River Inland Delta, Mali

Oct. 28, 2014, Landsat 8 (path/row 197/50) — Southern Niger River Inland Delta, Mali

Nov. 27, 2019, Landsat 8 (path/row 197/50) — Southern Niger River Inland Delta, Mali

Nov. 27, 2019, Landsat 8 (path/row 197/50) — Southern Niger River Inland Delta, Mali

Nov. 16, 2021, Landsat 8 (path/row 197/50) — Southern Niger River Inland Delta, Mali

Nov. 16, 2021, Landsat 8 (path/row 197/50) — Southern Niger River Inland Delta, Mali

Nov. 10, 1984, Landsat 5 (path/row 197/50) — Southern Niger River Inland Delta, Mali
Nov. 28, 1999, Landsat 7 (path/row 197/50) — Southern Niger River Inland Delta, Mali
Dec. 4, 2010, Landsat 5 (path/row 197/50) — Southern Niger River Inland Delta, Mali
Nov. 29, 2011, Landsat 7 (path/row 197/50) — Southern Niger River Inland Delta, Mali
Oct. 28, 2014, Landsat 8 (path/row 197/50) — Southern Niger River Inland Delta, Mali
Nov. 27, 2019, Landsat 8 (path/row 197/50) — Southern Niger River Inland Delta, Mali
Nov. 16, 2021, Landsat 8 (path/row 197/50) — Southern Niger River Inland Delta, Mali

Inland Delta of the Niger River, Mali Additional Imagery & Stories

Annual Change
Annual Change

In the flooded season, this part of Mali’s landscape stands out as bright green against the arid brown African Sahel. The Niger River and the Inland D...

Mopti
Mopti

The busy port city Mopti is located at the confluence of the Niger and Bani Rivers. It is a crossroads of trade between the north and south. Farming i...

Northern Delta
Northern Delta

In the northern portion of the delta, channels fill in between sand dunes during the flood season. Temporary lakes also fill during high floods. The w...

Seasonal Flooding
Seasonal Flooding

During the flood season, the delta can grow to 20,000 square kilometers (7,700 square miles). During the dry season, it can shrink to 3,900 square kil...