Do All Rivers Flow South?
Wednesday June 28, 2006
It disturbs me how often I'm asked why "x" river flows northward or for the name of three rivers that flow north. Most of these questions come from Americans who, for some reason, must presume that since the Mississippi flows south, all rivers on the planet flow south. Thus, to hopefully educate the world about the goals and desires of rivers, I've written a new article called, Rivers Flowing North. Cheers!
Comments
Gee, Matt, I thought water was attracted to the South Magnetic Pole.
Seriously, great article. I’ve been frustrated by this as well, just as I am by Americans who think New Mexico is in another country.
DOES THE WATER UNDERGROUND RUN THE SAME OR DOES IT FLOW DIFFERENT DIRECTIONS IN THE NORTH OR SOUTH IN THE UNITED STATES
Hi Stephem
For the most part underground rivers also flow via gravity although there are underground springs and the like that are under pressure and can flow uphill and create such things as geysers.
nile flows north
Mr. Rosenberg,
I find you lucky to be a smart man for I also find you pompous.
Wow, good job of making yourself look like an ass. Instead of assuming that most people think rivers flow north to south is because they never saw the reverse you think it is because they only saw one river. Most people think rivers have to flow north to south is because most rivers DO flow north to south. The percentage of rivers that flow in the opposite direction is small at best.
Wow! Most rivers flow south?
Must check the Rhine again next time
I guess in Germany we have to think that all rivers flow north then… because they do?
I wonder if it has something to do with those hills everywhere “down” south. Crazy thing how I can constantly travel “down” when I drive from bavaria to my hometown in the “lower” north
I seriously have NEVER heard of anyone thinking that all rivers would flow south – I love that!
people believe this because the media tells them. (reference this weeks edition of “first news”, the weekly paper for the younger reader) it is left to the unsuspectiong classroom teacher to try to dispell this myth, however with the constant repetition of this myth from so called reliable sources, few believe us!
I have been trying to find this, I told my son all rivers flow south except one, the Nile, this is what I was taught in school, he told me to prove it! I stand corrected, most rivers flow south, but a few do flow north, I will direct my son to this article and the one that rivers flow north , wonder what they teach the younger kids in school today about rivers?
Rather than looking at a map, look at the globe which is the true shape of our earth. Rivers can flow in any direction but it always flows DOWN…towards the larger source of water.
I am sure there is a reasonable geological answer to all of the comments above. “All” is a big word. Where you live shapes your paradigms. I was tought the same thiing. I believed the age of the river was related (I.E. the mountains grew up around the river). Lets all be friends.