Red River Delta

The Red River Delta is a fertile lowland in northern Vietnam, formed by the Red River and its tributaries where they flow into the Gulf of Tonkin.

Red River: A major river flowing from China through northern Vietnam to the Gulf of Tonkin. Its sediment and water form the delta and sustain its farms.
Rice cultivation: The growing of rice in fields, often flooded or irrigated during part of the crop cycle. Paddy farming is a defining use of the delta's fertile, irrigated land.
Holocene: The current geological epoch, beginning about 11,700 years ago after the last glacial period. Much of the delta's modern surface accumulated during this epoch.
Land subsidence: The gradual sinking of the Earth's surface, caused by natural processes or human activity. Groundwater extraction contributes to sinking in parts of the delta.
Thái Bình River: A river system in northern Vietnam that drains into the Gulf of Tonkin. Its tributaries help define and irrigate the delta's northeastern reaches.
Dike: An embankment built to prevent water from flooding land. Dikes protect settlements and farmland from river floods and high tides.
Sea-level rise: An increase in the average level of the world's oceans relative to land. Postglacial sea-level rise reshaped the coast as the delta developed.
Groundwater extraction: The removal of water from underground aquifers through wells or pumps. Heavy pumping can worsen subsidence and increase flood exposure.
River delta: A low-lying landform created where a river deposits sediment as it enters a slower body of water. The Red River Delta is a major example of this landform.
Red River Delta dyke system: A network of embankments and related works that controls flooding along the Red River and its branches. This regional system has made intensive settlement and farming possible.

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