How to get your rivers in the right place

[Gamerprinter]

I wonder if it will have any serious affect on Niagara Falls?

Actually, Niagra Falls was mentioned in that same show.

Apparently Lake Huron and Lake Erie didn't use to be connected. But with the rising of the Lakes caused the water to be forced over the land between the two lakes, which formed the rivers that joined the lakes. The connection between the two occurred 1800 years ago.

Water from the upper lakes flowing into Lake Erie then Lake Ontario caused the water to flow which eventually formed Niagra Falls. So apparently Niagra Falls is relatively "recent" (in geologic time). The show suggested that eventually the water volume flowing over Niagra Falls will increase, though it may be several thousand years before there's any real kind of disasterous change, due to that.

GP

[arakish]

Actually, Niagra Falls was mentioned in that same show.

Apparently Lake Huron and Lake Erie didn't use to be connected. But with the rising of the Lakes caused the water to be forced over the land between the two lakes, which formed the rivers that joined the lakes. The connection between the two occurred 1800 years ago.

Water from the upper lakes flowing into Lake Erie then Lake Ontario caused the water to flow which eventually formed Niagra Falls. So apparently Niagra Falls is relatively "recent" (in geologic time). The show suggested that eventually the water volume flowing over Niagra Falls will increase, though it may be several thousand years before there's any real kind of disasterous change, due to that.

GP

Although not posted to for awhile, I thought I'd add this little tidbit about Niagara Falls.

I also watched a History Channel's show about the Niagara Falls. One thing mentioned in that show is the fact that the four upper lakes water level will drop by up to the height of the falls 52 meters (167 feet). Of course, this won't happen for about another 12,000 years, and the water won't empty all at once but occur over several years to a couple of decades. That increase of water flow will do a heck of a gouging job.

rmfr

[arakish]

Finally found this on an old DVD, here is a paper I wrote to a friend about drainage patterns. Maybe this can help some also?

FluvialProcesses.doc

Although a copyright exists within the document, I am releasing it under Creative Commons No Commercial, Share Alike license.

rmfr

[Gidde]

Especially since they're actively slowing the Falls' march. Without intervention, the falls would be gone relatively soon, geologically speaking ... but they've pretty much halted the erosion to keep them in the same place. Add in the effect of the hydro dams, and more water flow shouldn't affect the falls much if at all.

[Jeff_Wilson63]

The statement also implies that two separate bits of water will always follow the same path. This is generally true. So when two rivers meet they BOTH then travel in the SAME direction. I.e. rivers do not spontaneously fork or split into two and go different ways around an obstacle. Only in a situation where one path cannot take the combined flow from the source does the water then split into different routes. So rivers always join up and do not split up.

I'm a new member, and I apologize if this subject has been beaten to death. I get frustrated myself with rivers that split for no apparent reason. However, we should keep in mind the example of the lower Ganges ( http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?hl=en&...6,1.299133&z=9 ), and that rivers do split sometimes.

This example is probably more useful for retconning existing maps than creating new ones.

[waldronate]

In the case of distributaries (the lower Ganges, in this case), the water is still following the path of steepest descent. The main channel starts to fill with silt until it is no longer able to carry the entire flow, which forces a side channel that can carry the rest of the flow. This side channel appears because the amount of water + the reduced channel size makes the total water column height greater than the surrounding landscape. This sort of thing is common in deltas all over the world, but the length of the distributaries is always a tiny fraction of the overall river length.
Many of the river splits we see here at the guild take place far up along the river, which is very unstable, geologically speaking, and will not last any significant length of time.

[Aylorian]

Uhoh, I had no idea there was so much to rivers. It might only be text/ascii maps (right now) but I believe I have the mother of all river violations spreading from one end to the other of a 3000 room continent.

Now I'm going to have to invent some world story about alternative gravity or something

[Steel General]

Uhoh, I had no idea there was so much to rivers. It might only be text/ascii maps (right now) but I believe I have the mother of all river violations spreading from one end to the other of a 3000 room continent.

Now I'm going to have to invent some world story about alternative gravity or something

One word for you... MAGIC

[Notsonoble]

You know, some of this makes no since when looking at a texas map... our rivers split like crazy...

[Redrobes]

Been scanning with google and see lots of rivers and tribs but no violations so far. Where you looking ? Can you post a map link ?

There are places in flood plains where it goes all over the place but thats expected in a flood plain only cos its changing so fast. Put some gradient on it and it settles into the standard patterns quickly.