Re: Water Currents
Originally Posted by
AutumnColour
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I know I could look this up but thought I'd ask here.
What causes streams, rivers, etc to run a particular course even when the terrain is flat? The current keeps the water flowing a certain direction.
I would guess that no terrain is ever absolutely flat so water finds the lowest point to flow along and toward also the movement of water creates its own gullies and creeks. However if you look at flat parts of Australia that are subject to floods these floods cover 1000s of Sq Kms and can stay weeks before they dissipate into the rivers and gullies as they flow toward the sea but there is always some slope even if very gradual. The rivers meander because it is so flat.
If you look at land that is actually laser levelled like irrigation areas such as cotton and pecan farms where the slope is at best minute and is in only one direction the irrigation water hardly flows but spreads to cover the ground evenly where it stays to soak in. That is something you never find in nature.