Knowra Continental Divide Continental Divide A continental divide is a watershed boundary separating river systems that drain toward different oceans. The term can describe any such boundary or, especially in North America, the principal divide separating Atlantic- and Pacific-bound rivers.
Drainage basin : An area of land where precipitation drains to a common outlet, such as a river, lake, or ocean. A divide is the boundary between neighboring drainage basins.
Great Divide of the Americas : The principal watershed divide in the Americas, running from Alaska through the Rocky Mountains to South America. This is the best-known example of a continental divide.
Hydrology : The science of water’s occurrence, movement, and properties on and beneath Earth’s surface. Hydrologists use divides to define and compare drainage areas.
Drainage divide migration : The gradual movement of a watershed boundary as erosion and runoff alter surrounding terrain. A continental divide is not necessarily fixed over geological time.
Watershed : A drainage basin, or the boundary separating it from neighboring basins, depending on regional usage. Continental divides are watershed boundaries at the scale of ocean drainage.
Laurentian Divide : A North American watershed boundary separating drainage toward the Atlantic Ocean, Hudson Bay, and Arctic Ocean. It shows that North America has major divides besides the Atlantic–Pacific boundary.
Watershed management : The coordinated management of land and water within a drainage basin. A divide sets the outer boundary for basin-scale water planning.
Stream piracy : The capture of one stream’s flow by another stream with a more effective route of erosion. Stream piracy can reorganize drainage and move the divide between basins.
River basin : The land drained by a river and its tributaries. The divide separates river basins whose waters ultimately reach different oceans.
Continental Divide of Australia : A watershed boundary along the Great Dividing Range separating drainage toward the Pacific from drainage toward the Indian Ocean or inland. Australia’s divide illustrates how continental boundaries depend on local drainage patterns.
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