continental divide
Ocean-directing mountain ridge
A continental divide is a ridge or elevated area that separates river systems flowing to different oceans or seas.
Water falling on one side eventually drains to one ocean, water on the other side to a different one.
North America, South America, and other continents have such drainage divides.
The term often appears in discussions of watershed geography and hydrology.
We crossed the continental divide near the pass. (Capitalized Continental Divide refers to the specific ridge in North America.)
Drainage area boundary
- drainageLiquid removal system
- basinConcave water receptacle
- tributaryStream entering larger river
- runoffExcess water drainage
streamflow · catchment · confluence · precipitation · headwaters · river source · water flow · rain shadow
Narrow raised strip
- watershedDrainage area boundary
- backboneVertebral column, or courage
- spineColumn of vertebrae
- crestHighest point or tuft
drainage basin · headwaters · ridgeline · cordillera · mountain chain
Line marking a limit
- barrierObstruction preventing passage
- separationState of being apart
- gulfPartially enclosed sea
- riftCrack or estrangement
turning point · crossroads · threshold · watershed moment · divergence · split · schism · demarcation
watershed
Drainage area boundary
runoff · streamflow · catchment · confluence · precipitation · headwaters · river source · water flow · rain shadow
ridge
Narrow raised strip
crest · drainage basin · headwaters · ridgeline · cordillera · mountain chain
boundary
Line marking a limit
- barrierObstruction preventing passage
- separationState of being apart
- gulfPartially enclosed sea
rift · turning point · crossroads · threshold · watershed moment · divergence · split · schism · demarcation · point of no return
- bordersborder, boundary, border crossing, national borders, boundary line
- Lewis and ClarkMeriwether Lewis, Sacagawea, Missouri River, Columbia River, Thomas Jefferson
- Rocky Mountain Wildernesswilderness areas, alpine meadow, backcountry, alpine lake, alpine lakes
- US GeologyAppalachians, Rocky Mountains, Rockies, Grand Canyon, San Andreas Fault
- Colorado RockiesRocky Mountain National Park, alpine tundra, mountain peaks, glacial lakes, bighorn sheep
- Ural Region
continental divideconfluence
Meeting point of streams
river junction · drainage basin · watershed · catchment area · river delta
continental divideocean basin
Large undersea geological depression
valley floor · river basin · depression · trough · sea level
continental dividebridge
Structure spanning an obstacle
common ground · meeting point · nexus · bond · connection
divide, division, divided, continent, divider, divides, divisive, subdivide, continental