River flows

greenspun.com : LUSENET : Introductory Geology, Oswego State : One Thread

We were discussing river flows recently and how rivers always flow downhill but not always south. I can understand the downhill statement, it is impossible for anything to fall up hill against gravity. What I am having a tough time picturing in my head is something flowing north. Would this be south of the equator or something? I am a very visual person and if someone could "paint" me this picture I would understand this a little bit more. ~Thanks

-- Adele Basile (Ladybird1881@aol.com), April 11, 2001


Maybe this would help, piture a mountain and you are standing on the north side of it looking at the mountain with a big lake behind you. picture an overflowing lake on the top the water is flowing down the mountain to the ground due to gravity on all side cause the water is so great. even since you are standing on the north side the water will still flow down that side = flowing north.

-- tina southwell (tsouthwe@oswego.edu), April 11, 2001.

I think you are looking at this like, going south means you are going downhill, but that is inccorrect. Rivers can flow north, but cannot go uphill, it cannot defy gravity. As my friend once put it, I'm going to FL its going to be all down hill. Professor Gabel said this is class about rivers flowing up hills

-- Samantha Acevedo (sacevedo@oswego.edu), April 16, 2001.

Think of when you face north and begin to walk, are you going against gravity when you walk north? Of course not. All slopes do not have their highest point at the north end and the bottom of the slope at their south end. Take the Oswego River for example, it empties into Lake Ontario which is north. Therefore the river flows north. I hope this helps.

-- Deb Richards (Kizmet727@yahoo.com), April 17, 2001.

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