Background: River deltas form when a river carrying sediment reaches either (1) a body of water, such as a lake, ocean, or reservoir, (2) another river that cannot remove the sediment quickly enough to stop delta formation, or (3) an inland region where the water spreads out and deposits sediments. The tidal currents also cannot be too strong, as sediment would wash out into the water body faster than the river deposits it. The river must carry enough sediment to layer into deltas over time. The river's velocity decreases rapidly, causing it to deposit the majority, if not all, of its load. This alluvium builds up to form the river delta.[7] When the flow enters the standing water, it is no longer confined to its channel and expands in width. This flow expansion results in a decrease in the flow velocity, which diminishes the ability of the flow to transport sediment. As a result, sediment drops out of the flow and deposits. Over time, this single channel builds a deltaic lobe (such as the bird's-foot of the Mississippi or Ural river deltas), pushing its mouth into the standing water. As the deltaic lobe advances, the gradient of the river channel becomes lower because the river channel is longer but has the same change in elevation (see slope).

Situation: The Danube and Volga rivers both form large deltas, but the Danube river delta is larger and grows faster every year.

Question: Which river carries more sediments?
Answer: Danube

Situation: The Danube and Volga rivers both form large deltas, but the Danube river delta is larger and grows faster every year.

Question: Which river carries fewer sediments?
Answer: Volga

Situation: The Danube and Volga rivers both form large deltas, but the Danube river delta is larger and grows faster every year.

Question: Which river flows into a sea with stronger tidal currents?
Answer: Danube

Situation: The Danube and Volga rivers both form large deltas, but the Danube river delta is larger and grows faster every year.

Question: Which river flows into a sea with weaker tidal currents?
Answer: Volga

Situation: The Danube and Volga rivers both form large deltas, but the Danube river delta is larger and grows faster every year.

Question: Which river's speed decreases more rapidly when it reaches the sea?
Answer: Danube

Situation: The Danube and Volga rivers both form large deltas, but the Danube river delta is larger and grows faster every year.

Question: Which river's speed decreases less rapidly when it reaches the sea?
Answer: Volga

Situation: The Danube and Volga rivers both form large deltas, but the Danube river delta is larger and grows faster every year.

Question: Which river experiences more flow expansion when it reaches the sea?
Answer: Danube

Situation: The Danube and Volga rivers both form large deltas, but the Danube river delta is larger and grows faster every year.

Question: Which river experiences less flow expansion when it reaches the sea?
Answer: Volga

Situation: The Danube and Volga rivers both form large deltas, but the Danube river delta is larger and grows faster every year.

Question: Which river experiences a more significant decrease in flow velocity when it reaches the sea?
Answer: Danube

Situation: The Danube and Volga rivers both form large deltas, but the Danube river delta is larger and grows faster every year.

Question: Which river experiences a less significant decrease in flow velocity when it reaches the sea?
Answer: Volga