Some rivers remain full-flowing throughout the year, and even if the water level changes in them, the changes are insignificant. And others dry up completely during the hot season, and from them there remains only a muddy channel and a network of disconnected reservoirs.
Such rivers are called screams, and they are found mainly in areas with a dry, hot climate. They are in Australia, the desert parts of Africa, in Asia. Their periodic disappearance is connected precisely with the climate, with a shortage of food in the dry season, and with the onset of the rainy season they again become full-flowing. It is worth considering the main list of these reservoirs, noting the largest of them.
Fifth place - Air Ruma
Wadi Er Ruma is located on the Arabian Peninsula, in the desert of Big Nefood. This is not the only temporary reservoir filled in the rainy period, which is available in this territory. It is worth noting that on the entire Arabian Peninsula there are only two permanent rivers, these are Masila and Maur, all the rest on the territory up to the mighty Tigris and Euphrates are temporary. And there are a lot of them - El Jizzle, El Jarif, and many others. After all, the Arabian Peninsula is almost completely covered by desert, so this situation is not at all surprising. So, in general, Kuwait there is not a single permanent river.
Fourth Place - Wadi Hammamat
The drying up Wadi Hammamat River is the right tributary of the Nile River. However, today it is almost completely dry, although it is obvious that in past eras it was full-flowing. Scientists have found this from bottom sediments. The fact is that 2 thousand years ago the African climate was very different from the modern one, and in the desert there were often fertile and well-moistened lands. In connection with the change in climate, precipitation began to fall less, the lands began to dry out, and deserts began to advance. And food for the rivers has also become much less, so many of them have already dried up or became a wadi, that is, filled only after heavy rains.
Third Place - Wadi Natrun
This tectonic depression is located on the African continent, west of the Nile Delta. A crack in the soil is located at an altitude of 24 m above sea level, and there is almost always a network of salt lakes in it. With heavy rains, it is filled with water and becomes a kind of river. Salt is mined here, and another place is known for the fact that from ancient times monks settled here - hermits. Today, the surrounding territories are trying to adapt for agriculture.
Second Place - Cooper Creek
This river begins with the Great Dividing Range, from which it carries water to 1420 km. It flows through Queensland, through South Australia, and when it comes to the rainy season, it flows into Eyre, one of the Australian lakes. But in the dry period, it also breaks up into a network of shallow reservoirs, and can no longer bring its waters to the final destination.Drying is associated with the climate characteristics of the surrounding areas, which are characterized by aridity. However, the land here is fertile, and therefore water is used for irrigation, for agricultural purposes. The river was actively used in the past, the natives caught and are fishing here.
The largest seasonally drying river in the world
The largest seasonally dry river in the world is Darling. The Darling River is located in Australia and is a tributary of Murray. While the water level in Murray varies greatly depending on the season, the Darling River disappears from time to time. By its length, it is the second in all of Australia, it carries its waters in the wet season on 2740 km. It starts on the slopes of New England, at an altitude of 119 meters above sea level. It dries out only in its lower reaches, where stretches remain from it for a dry period. Nevertheless, its waters are actively used in agriculture, saving the inhabitants of the driest continent of the planet.
Thus, the luxury of having a permanent river that will always flow and providing the population and industry, agriculture in the region with sufficient water is not everywhere. Seasonally drying rivers can completely disappear during the hot season, can go underground or remain a chain of lakes. It is amazing that the local fauna perfectly adapts to this state of affairs. In Africa, there are fish that simply dig into silt and fall into a kind of hibernation, remaining in this cocoon until it is washed with water again (read our article: fish that can do without water). Crocodiles can starve for six monthsuntil the water area is full again and creates the conditions for hunting.
Each living creature that lives in such reservoirs has its own adaptations that allow it to survive and bear offspring even in such harsh conditions, and even plants that need constant moisture have learned to survive by accumulating and saving water.
