We had a discussion about short and long rivers the other day, and I wonder how many of you know what a "super river" is?

The term refers to rivers such as the Mississippi and Hudson as they were in the late ice age. It seems that the outlet through the St.Lawerence was blocked by the ice sheet, causing enormous amounts of melt water to flow down these two rivers. The Hudson became wider, but much, much deeper carving out the Hudson valley that we see today. Much of the runoff from what is now the Great Lakes flowed up -- yes up -- the Iroquois River and into the Hudson.

The Mississippi became wider and wider and wider. If you had been there, you would have been unable to see the other side in many places. The Missouri and Ohio, major tributaries of the Mississippi, probably formed when melt water flowed along the egde of the ice sheet. Did you ever wonder why long stretches of the Missouri have tributaries only on one side? Check your map.

The same thing happened to the Columbia river and rivers on other continents.
Howard