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Continental Divide for Dummies

noun


What does Continental Divide really mean?

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Continental Divide is a term that is often used to describe a very important geographical feature. Just like a line drawn on a map, the Continental Divide is an imaginary line that separates the flow of water on a continent. It marks the point where water on one side flows into one set of rivers or streams, while water on the other side flows into a completely different set of rivers or streams.

Imagine that you are standing on a tall mountain peak, and you have a bucket of water in your hands. If you were to pour that bucket of water on one side of the mountain, it would eventually make its way into a series of rivers and streams that flow toward the ocean. However, if you were to pour that same bucket of water on the other side of the mountain, it would flow in an entirely different direction, towards a completely different set of rivers and streams that eventually find their way to a different ocean or sea.

The Continental Divide acts as a natural barrier that separates the watersheds or drainage basins of different river systems. A watershed is like a giant bathtub or basin in the Earth's surface. When it rains or snows, the water collects in these giant bathtubs and then flows downhill, eventually joining together to form larger bodies of water like rivers and lakes. However, the watersheds on either side of the Continental Divide drain into different basins, meaning the water flows in separate directions.

One famous example of the Continental Divide is found in North America. If you were standing on the top of the Rocky Mountains in the United States, you would be standing on the Continental Divide. If you poured water on one side, that water would eventually flow down into the Pacific Ocean. However, if you poured water on the other side, it would flow into the Atlantic Ocean or the Gulf of Mexico. This natural division determines which rivers and streams flow eastward (towards the Atlantic) and which flow westward (towards the Pacific).

The Continental Divide is not just found in North America, though. It exists on other continents too, like Europe, Asia, and Africa. For example, in Europe, the Ural Mountains act as a Continental Divide separating the rivers that flow into the Arctic Ocean from those that flow into the Caspian Sea and the Black Sea.

In simpler terms, the Continental Divide is a line separating the directions in which water flows on a continent. It determines which rivers and streams eventually lead to different oceans or seas. This concept helps us understand how water moves across the Earth's surface, and how it shapes the land and the flow of life within different ecosystems.

Revised and Fact checked by William Taylor on 2023-10-28 07:25:26

Continental Divide In a sentece

Learn how to use Continental Divide inside a sentece

  • The Continental Divide is like a long, invisible line that runs through the country, separating the rivers that flow towards the Pacific Ocean from those that flow towards the Atlantic Ocean.
  • If you were standing on the Continental Divide, and you poured water on the ground, half of it would flow towards the Pacific Ocean and the other half towards the Atlantic Ocean.
  • Imagine you are hiking in the Rocky Mountains. When you reach the very top, you are likely standing on the Continental Divide, where the water on one side will drain into the Pacific and the water on the other side will drain into the Atlantic.
  • When it rains or snows on the mountains along the Continental Divide, the water that melts down will eventually end up in either the Atlantic or the Pacific Ocean, depending on which side of the divide it starts from.
  • If someone wanted to walk from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean without crossing any rivers, they would have to follow the Continental Divide because it marks the highest points of land where water flows in different directions.

Continental Divide Hypernyms

Words that are more generic than the original word.

Continental Divide Meronyms

Words that are part of the original word.

Continental Divide Regions

Regions where the word is used.