The rivers that science says shouldn't exist

Scientists Spot Rivers That Are "Hydrologic Equivalent Of A Wormhole Between Two Galaxies"

These rivers at first seem to defy the rules of hydrology.

Water Resources Research publishes an investigation with a total of nine rivers and lakes in America that challenge the fundamental rules of the functioning of waterways and river basins.

The rivers that science says shouldn't exist

Rivers join downstream, flow downhill, and eventually meet an ocean or terminal lake: These are fundamental rules of how waterways and basins are supposed to work. But rules are made to be broken. In the journal Water Resources Research, Sowby and Siegel lay out nine rivers and lakes in the Americas that defy hydrologic expectations.

The Rivers That Science Says Shouldn’t Exist

Source: Water Resources Research Rivers join downstream, flow downhill, and eventually meet an ocean or terminal lake: These are fundamental rules of how waterways and basins are supposed to work. But rules are made to be broken. Sowby and Siegel lay out nine rivers and lakes in the Americas that defy hydrologic expectations. All exhibit instances of bifurcation, in which a river splits into branches that continue downstream. But unlike typical …