what is the significance of the continental divide

Continental divides separate one drainage basin from another. They are used to define the direction that an area’s rivers flow and drain into the oceans and seas. The best-known continental divide is in North America and it runs along the Rocky and Andes mountain

ranges.

Full Answer

Why is the Continental Divide significant?

It separates the water that runs toward the Pacific Ocean from the water that runs toward the Atlantic and Arctic Oceans and the Gulf of Mexico.

What does the Continental Divide do for the United States?

From its northernmost reaches in Alaska to its southern end at the Straits of Magellan, the North American Continental Divide separates the watersheds that flow into the Pacific Ocean and those that flow into the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic, Caribbean, and Arctic Oceans.

How many continental divides are in the US?

3. Continental divides of North America include the so-called Great Divide, the Northern Divide, the Eastern Divide, and the St. Lawrence Seaway Divide.

What is another term for the Continental Divide?

The Continental Divide of the Americas, also called the Great Divide, and especially in Alaska, the Pacific-Arctic Divide, separates the watersheds of the Pacific Ocean from those of the Atlantic and Arctic Oceans.

Where is the Continental Divide located in the United States?

Most of the divide runs along the crest of the Rocky Mountains, through British Columbia and along the British Columbia–Alberta border in Canada, and through the states of Montana, Wyoming, Colorado, and New Mexico in the United States.

Does the Continental Divide go through Yellowstone?

The Continental Divide Trail takes hikers through Yellowstone National Park, but this national treasure is too big to enjoy from one trail. Take time to explore the geysers, mountains, waterfalls and wildlife within America's first national park.

Where is the Great Divide in the US?

The larger Great Divide separates the North American continent into eastern (Atlantic) and western (Pacific) watersheds. It runs some 650 miles through the heart of Colorado, crossing twenty-one counties and many of the state's famous mountain peaks.

Is the Continental Divide man made?

A continental divide is a natural (i.e. not man-made) boundary separating precipitation. Essentially, rivers, rainfall, snowfall, etc., water that flows into two oceans. Therefore, divides are the barriers that prevent rivers, etc on one side from flowing into oceans on the other.

What is the North American continental divide?

Running from Alaska to Mexico to the Southernmost tip ofSouth America, the North American continental divide separates the area into two different watersheds- one that drains to the Pacific Ocean, and one that drains to the Atlantic Ocean.

What are the mountains that make up the Continental Divide?

Continental divides are made of mountain ranges- the most famous part of the North American continental divide is a ridge of high land that runs through the Rocky Mountains. Often referred to as the “backbone” of a continent, continental divides are almost always naturally occurring structures, although occasionally, man-made structures are added to these natural formations. In order to understand how the divide formed, we first need to understand the theory of plate tectonics, as the North American continental divide was formed millions of years ago through the movement oftectonic plates.

How does a continental divide separate land into two water systems?

A continental divide separates a land mass into two water drainage systems: the land on one side of the divide drains to one ocean or sea, and the land on the other side of the divide drains to another ocean or sea.

What animals are on the continental divide?

When hiking in the Rocky Mountains, it’s not unusual to see buffalo, bears, mountain goats, and otters. If you’re on the Northern end of the divide (in Canada) you may even come across a lynx- a rare type of large wildcat.

What are the large, constantly moving slabs of rock called?

Most scientists believe that under the immediate surface of the Earth, there are large, constantly moving slabs of rock, referred to as tectonic plates.

What happens when plates shift?

When these plates shift, many things can happen- they can leave empty space, creating a trench in the ocean, they can slide past one another, creating an earthquake, or they can crash into each other, pushing rock upward and creating brand-new mountain ranges.

Where is the Continental Divide Trail?

The North American continental divide trail is a popular spot for hikers. The trail runs from Mexico, through the United States and up to Canada, and is often referred to as a “living map of the West.”. If you’re attempting to hike the continental divide trail, do research and prepare yourself- this trail is not for ...

What is the best known continental divide?

They are used to define the direction that an area's rivers flow and drain into the oceans and seas. The best-known continental divide is in North America and it runs along the Rocky and Andes mountain ranges. Most continents have multiple continental divides ...

What are the continental divides of the rest of the world?

The Continental Divides of the Rest of the World. It is easiest to talk about the continental divides of Europe, Asia, Africa, and Australia as a whole because many of the drainage basins span all four continents. The Atlantic Ocean: Along the entire western coast of Europe and Africa, the rivers flow into the Atlantic Ocean.

Which side of the continental divide drains toward the Atlantic Ocean?

Rain or snow that drains on the east side of the Continental Divide flows toward the Atlantic Ocean. Precipitation on the west side drains and flows toward the Pacific Ocean . The continental divide runs from northwestern Canada along the crest of the Rocky Mountains to New Mexico.

Which river flows north and has a drainage basin that reaches south past the equator?

Most notably, the Nile River flows north and has a drainage basin that reaches south past the equator. The Indian Ocean: The rivers of countries that surround the Indian Ocean flow into it. This includes most of the eastern coast of Africa, the Middle East, India, and Southeast Asia as well as the majority of Australia.

Does North America have a continental divide?

To say that any continent, including North America, has a single continental divide is not entirely true. We can continue to divide the flow of water (called hydrological divides) into these groups: East of the Rocky Mountains and north of the Canada-U.S. border, the rivers flow into the Arctic Ocean.

What is the Continental Divide?

The Continental Divide of the Americas (also known as the Great Divide, the Western Divide or simply the Continental Divide; Spanish: Divisoria continental de América, Gran Divisoria) is the principal, and largely mountainous, hydrological divide of the Americas. The Continental Divide extends from the Bering Strait to the Strait of Magellan, ...

What is the highest point on the Continental Divide?

Grays Peak, here in mid-June 2007. At 4,352 m (14,278 ft), it is the highest point of the Continental Divide in North America. Historically, the Continental Divide was the line between British and US land possession in the disputed Oregon Country.

What is the triple divide peak?

This hydrological apex of North America status of Triple Divide Peak is the main reason behind the designation of Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park as the "Crown of the Continent" of North America. The summit of the peak is the world's only oceanic triple divide point. Discounting Antarctica and its ice sheets, only one other continent ( Asia) borders three oceans, but the inward-draining Endorheic basin area of Central Asia from western China to the Aral and Caspian Seas is so vast that any Arctic and Indian Ocean tributaries are never within proximity of each other. Thus, North America's status of having a single location draining into three oceans is unique in the world.

What is the name of the apex of the triple divide?

This hydrological apex of North America status of Triple Divide Peak is the main reason behind the designation of Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park as the "Crown of the Continent" of North America. The summit of the peak is the world's only oceanic triple divide point.

Which hydrological divide is the most prominent?

Although there are many other hydrological divides in the Americas, the Continental Divide is by far the most prominent of these because it tends to follow a line of high peaks along the main ranges of the Rocky Mountains and Andes, at a generally much higher elevation than the other hydrological divisions.

Where is the Great Divide?

The Divide crosses into the United States in northwestern Montana, at the boundary between Waterton Lakes National Park and Glacier National Park. In Canada, it forms the western boundary of Waterton Lakes National Park, and in the US bisects Glacier National Park. Further south, the Divide forms the backbone of the Rocky Mountain Front (Front Range) in the Bob Marshall Wilderness, heads south towards Helena and Butte, then west past the namesake community of Divide, Montana, through the Anaconda-Pintler Wilderness to the Bitterroot Range, where it forms the eastern third of the state boundary between Idaho and Montana. The Divide crosses into Wyoming within Yellowstone National Park and continues southeast around the Great Divide Basin, through the Sierra Madre Range into Colorado where it reaches its highest point in North America at the summit of Grays Peak at 4,352 metres (14,278 ft). It crosses US Hwy 160 in southwestern Colorado at Wolf Creek Pass, where a line symbolizes the division. The Divide then proceeds south into western New Mexico, passing along the western boundary of the endorheic Plains of San Agustin. Although the Divide represents the height of land between watersheds, it does not always follow the highest ranges/peaks within each state or province.

Where does the Continental Divide Trail end?

The Continental Divide Trail (CDT) follows the Divide through the U.S. from the Mexico–US border to the Canada–US border. The trail itself is a corridor of pathways - i.e. dedicated footpaths or back roads, either on or near the Continental Divide. A less-developed Canadian extension called the Great Divide Trail continues through five national parks and six provincial parks, ending at Kakwa Lake in east-central British Columbia.