A number of rivers are known to have reversed the direction of their flow, either permanently or temporarily, in response to geological activity, weather events, climate change , or direct human intervention.
Permanent reversals [ edit ] Natural [ edit ] Artificial [ edit ] Construction of the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal Temporary reversals [ edit ] The Reversing Falls of the Saint John River , flowing upriver All tidal sections of rivers reverse their flow with the tide about twice a day (or semidiurnally ), by definition. The following are notable examples.[3]
Intermittent [ edit ] Hurricane storm surges often cause temporary reversals of coastal rivers.[1]
^ These reversals represent a return to the Chicago River's original natural outlet in Lake Michigan. ^ Reversals of the Chicago River have been increasing in frequency in association with global warming , and may soon occur at least once each year.[10] See also [ edit ] Stream capture , in which a stream or river is diverted from its own bed, and flows instead down a neighboring channel References [ edit ] ^ a b c d e Borneman, Elizabeth (November 24, 2014). "Rivers that Flow Backwards" . Geo Lounge . Retrieved 18 March 2019 . ^ "When the Wisconsin River Flowed East" . 11 September 2018. ^ a b "The Hudson Estuary: A River That Flows Two Ways" . New York State Department of Environmental Conservation . Retrieved 19 March 2019 . ^ "Reversing Falls" . New-Brunswick.net . Retrieved 18 March 2019 . ^ Dinshaw, Fram (June 19, 2018). "What a bore! Truro's 'marvellous' tidal event a daily tourist draw | SaltWire" . www.saltwire.com . Retrieved 2023-02-06 . ^ Krupa River Retrieved 30 August 2022. ^ The Petexbatún eco-system (in Spanish) Retrieved 30 January 2021. ^ The Bore Tides of the Qiantang River Retrieved 30 January 2021. ^ Jennings, Ken (February 2, 2015). "Why the Tonle Sap River Is Unlike Any Other River in the World" . Condé Nast Traveler . Retrieved 18 March 2019 . ^ a b "How Climate Change Is Making This River Run Backwards" . EcoWatch . Natural Resources Defense Council . June 4, 2017. Retrieved 19 March 2019 . ^ Soniak, Matt (January 25, 2013). "Has a U.S. River Run Backwards Before?" . Mental Floss . Retrieved 18 March 2019 . ^ "Mississippi River Flows Backwards Due to Isaac" . USGS Newsroom . United States Geological Survey . August 29, 2012. Retrieved 19 March 2019 . ^ "Hurricane Ida Is So Strong It Reversed the Mississippi's Current" . interestingengineering.com . 2021-08-30. Retrieved 2021-08-30 .