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.)

Imagery

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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

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