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StreamcaptureWikipedia,thefreeencyclopedia

Streamcapture
FromWikipedia,thefreeencyclopedia

Streamcapture,rivercapture,orstreampiracyisa
geomorphologicalphenomenonoccurringwhenastreamorriver
drainagesystemorwatershedisdivertedfromitsownbed,andflows
insteaddownthebedofaneighbouringstream.Thiscanhappenfor
severalreasons,including:
Tectonicearthmovements,wheretheslopeofthelandchanges,
andthestreamistippedoutofitsformercourse
Naturaldamming,suchasbyalandslideoricesheet
Erosion,either
Headwarderosionofonestreamvalleyupwardsinto
another,or
Lateralerosionofameanderthroughthehigherground
dividingtheadjacentstreams.
Withinanareaofkarsttopography,wherestreamsmay
sink,orflowunderground(asinkingorlosingstream)and

Streamcapturebyheadward
erosion,leavingawindgap

thenreappearinanearbystreamvalley
Theadditionalwaterflowingdownthecapturingstreammayaccelerate
erosionandencouragethedevelopmentofacanyon(gorge).
Thenowdryvalleyoftheoriginalstreamisknownasawindgap.

Contents
1Capturemechanisms
1.1Tectonicuplift
1.2Glacialdamming
1.3Headwarderosion
1.4Karst
2Effectonfreshwaterlife
2.1Australianfreshwaterfish

TheMaumeeRiverbasin.The
Maumee,flowingnortheast,has
brokenintopartofanotherriver's
basin,capturingwestflowing
streamsandforcingthemto
reversedirectiononenteringit.

3References
4Seealso

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Capturemechanisms
Tectonicuplift
BarmahChoke
About25,000yearsago,anupliftoftheplainsnearMoamafirstdammedtheMurrayRiverandthen
forcedittotakeanewcourse.ThenewcoursedugitswaythroughthesocalledBarmahChokeand
capturedthelowercourseoftheGoulburnRiverfor500km.
BarrierRange
TheoriginalcourseoftheMurrayRiverwastoamouthnearPortPiriewherealargedeltaisstill
visibleprotrudingintothecalmwatersofSpencerGulf.Anupliftofthelandblockedtherivernear
thesouthernendoftheFlindersRanges,andtherivereventuallyfounditswaytoanewmouthnear
LakeAlexandrina.

Glacialdamming
TheRiverThamesinsouthernEnglandoriginallyenteredthe
NorthSeanearIpswich.About450,000yearsago,anice
sheetexpandingfromthenorthpushedthecourseoftheriver
southwards,forcingtheThamestocutanewmouthwherethe
mouthoftheRiverBlackwater,Essexnowis,northof
London.Itlatermovedsouthwardsagaintoitscurrent
positionasaresultofcuttingthroughtheChilternHillsat
GoringonThames,aneventwhichcreatedtheGoringGap.

TheRiverThamesasitpasses
throughtheGoringGap

Headwarderosion
TheTeaysRiver,capturedbytheOhioRiver.
TheRioGrandewhichbeforecaptureflowedintoaclosedbasin,LakeCabezadeVaca,butafter
captureflowedintotheGulfofMexico.
TheancestralNigerRivercapturedwhatisnowtheupperreachesoftheNigerwhichonceflowed
intoanendorheicbasintotheeastnortheastofTimbuktu.[1]
TheRiverStour,Kent,largelycapturedbytheRiverBeult/blt/,RiverTeise/tiz/andothers.
TheRiverWey,insouthernEngland,thewesternarmofwhichistheformerupperwatersofthe
RiverBlackwater(RiverLoddon).
TheRiverRheidolinWaleswhichhascapturedtheheadwatersofotherstreamsandnowrunsfor
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partofitslengthinadeepgorge.
TheRiverLydinDevon,England.
TheBlackRiver,inKingsCounty,NovaScotia,Canada,capturedbytheGaspereauRiver

Karst
TheDonauversickerung(DanubeSink),currentlydevelopinginGermany,wherealargeportionof
theupperpartsoftheDanuberiversinksintothelimestonebedrock,andresurfacesintheAachtopf
spring,atributaryoftheRiverRhine.

Effectonfreshwaterlife
Rivercaptureisashapingforceinthebiogeographyordistributionofmanyfreshwaterfishspecies.

Australianfreshwaterfish
Australiaprovidesaparticularlyfascinatingseriesofexamplesoffreshwaterfishspeciesanddistributions
resultingfromrivercaptureevents.TheformerlymassiveGreatDividingRangerunsthelengthofthe
easterncoastlineofAustraliaandhasisolatednativefreshwaterfishpopulationseastandwestoftherange
formillionsofyears.InthelasttwomillionyearserosionhasreducedtheGreatDividingRangetoa
criticalpointwherewesttoeastrivercaptureeventshavebeenpossible.Anumberofnativefishspecies
thatoriginatedintheMurrayDarlingriversystemtothewestare(orwere)foundnaturallyoccurringina
numberofcoastalsystemsspanningalmosttheentirelengthoftherange.
NoneoftherivercaptureeventsthatallowednativefishoftheMurrayDarlingsystemtocrossintoand
colonisetheseEastCoastriversystemsseemtohaveformedpermanentlinkages.ThecolonisingMurray
DarlingfishintheseEastCoastriversystemshavethereforebecomeisolatedfromtheirparentspecies,and
duetoisolation,thefoundereffect,geneticdriftandnaturalselection,havebecomeseparatespecies(see
allopatricspeciation).
Examplesinclude:
Goldenperch(DawsonFitzroyriversystem,centralQueensland).
Eeltailedcatfish(severalrivers,northernNewSouthWales)(However,noterecentgeneticresearch
whichnowindicateseeltailedcatfishcolonisedeastcoastdrainagesinmultiplecolonisationevents
relativelyrecently(byevolutionarystandards)andmaysubsequentlyhavecolonisedtheMurray
Darlingsystemviaaneasttowestrivercaptureevent,contrarytousualwesttoeastcaptureevents
listedhere.)
Macquarieperch(HawkesburyNepeanrivers,ShoalhavenRiver,southernNewSouthWales).
Riverblackfish(multiplerivers,Victoria).
Murraycod,whoseeasternspecies/subspeciesare:
Easternfreshwatercod(ClarenceRiversystem,northernNewSouthWales.Itwasalsofound
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intheRichmondRiversysteminNewSouthWalesbutthatpopulationisnowextinct.)
BrisbaneRivercod(BrisbaneRiversystem,southernQueensland.Thatpopulationisnow
extinct,anditsexacttaxonomicstatusisnotknown.)
TheMaryRivercod(MaryRiver,southern/centralQueensland.)
Themountaingalaxiasspeciescomplex(multiplerivers,southernQueensland,NewSouthWales,
Victoria).
Oliveperchlet(Ambassisagassizii),westerncarpgudgeon(Hypseleotrisklungzingeri),pygmyperch
(Nannopercaaustralis)andAustraliansmelt(Retropinnasemoni)alsoappeartohavemadecrossingsinto
coastalsystems,thelasttwospeciesseeminglymanytimesastheyarefoundinmostorallcoastalstreams
insoutheasternAustraliaaswellastheMurrayDarlingsystem.
Unfortunately,withtheexceptionofeasternfreshwatercodandMaryRivercod,ithasnotbeenwidely
recognisedthatthesecoastalpopulationsofMurrayDarlingnativefishareseparatespeciesandtheir
classificationshavenotbeenupdatedtoreflectthis.Manyarethreatenedandtwo,theRichmondRivercod
andtheBrisbaneRivercod,havebecomeextinct.

References
1. TomL.McKnightDarrelHess(2005)."16,"TheFluvialProcesses" ".PhysicalGeography:ALandscape
Appreciation(8thEditioned.).UpperSaddleRiver,NewJersey:Pearson,PrenticeHall.p.462.ISBN013
1451391.

Seealso
Lakecapture
NigerRiver
Misfitstream
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