Drainage divide - Citizendia

Main European drainage divides (red lines) separating catchments (gray regions).

A drainage divide, water divide, divide or (in non-American use) watershed is the line separating neighbouring drainage basins (catchments). A drainage basin is an extent of Land where Water from Rain or Snow melt drains downhill into a body of water such as a River, In hilly country, the divide lies along topographical peaks and ridges, but in flat country (especially where the ground is marshy) the divide may be invisible – just a more or less notional line on the ground on either side of which falling raindrops will start a journey to different rivers, and even to different sides of a country or continent. Topography ( topo-, "place" and graphia, "writing" is the study of Earth 's Surface features or those of Planets A pyramidal peak, or sometimes in its most extreme form called a glacial horn, is a Mountaintop that has been modified by the action of Ice during A ridge is a geological feature that features a continuous elevational crest for some distance Drainage divides are important geographical, and often also political boundaries. Geography (from Greek γεωγραφία - geografia) is the study of the Earth and its lands features inhabitants and phenomena Politics Politics is the process by which groups of people make decisions Borders define geographic boundaries of political entities or legal jurisdictions such as Governments States or subnational administrative Roads (such as ridgeways) and rail tracks often follow divides to minimise grades (gradients), and to avoid marshes and rivers. The grade (or gradient or pitch or slope) of any physical feature such as a Hill, Stream, Roof, railroad, or

A divide is also known as:

A watershed (in non-American usage), the line between drainage basins – shedding is an old term for splitting or dividing, so it is the line which divides the water (however in North America "watershed" has come to mean the drainage basin itself);
a water parting;
a height of land (in Canada). A drainage basin is an extent of Land where Water from Rain or Snow melt drains downhill into a body of water such as a River, A drainage basin is an extent of Land where Water from Rain or Snow melt drains downhill into a body of water such as a River,

Types

Drainage divides can be grouped in three types:

Continental divide

A divide in which the waters on each side flow to different oceans (example: the Nile and Congo divide, Lunghin Pass triple divide)

Major drainage divide

The waters on each side of the divide never meet again, but do flow into the same ocean (example: the divide between the Yellow River basin and the Yangtze)

Minor drainage divide

The waters part but eventually meet again at a river confluence (example: the Mississippi and Missouri divide)

Drainage divides are a hindrance to river navigation. A continental divide is a line of elevated Terrain which forms a border between two watersheds such that Water falling on one side of the line eventually The Nile (النيل, Ancient Egyptian iteru or Ḥ'pī, Coptic piaro or phiaro) is a major north-flowing River The Congo River (for a time known as the Zaire River) is the largest River in Western Central Africa. Piz Lunghin (2780 m a peak in Grisons, Switzerland, near Maloja. The Yellow River or Huang He / Hwang Ho ( Hatan Gol Queen river) is the second-longest river in China (after the Yangtze River) and the The Mississippi River is the second longest River in the United States, with a length of from its source in Lake Itasca in Minnesota to Navigation is the process of reading and controlling the movement of a craft or vehicle from one place to another In pre-industrial times water divides were crossed at portages. Portage refers to the practice of carrying a Canoe or other Boat over land to avoid an obstacle on the water route (such as Rapids or a Waterfall Later, canals were built to connect the adjoining drainage basins. Canals are artificial channels for water There are two types of canals water conveyance canals which are used for the conveyance and delivery of water and Waterways

Types

See also