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I've sometimes wondered why the Mississippi being the smaller river in size and water volume where they meet isn't a tributary of the Ohio instead of the reverse. That seems logical but somehow the Mississippi name won out. How did this happen since most of the water going into the gulf is from the Ohio River?
Because the people who mapped the rivers in 1500 didn’t have the technology to measure volumetric flow. The Mississippi River just seemed like the straighter branch so they assumed it was the main branch
Because geography is like English grammar. The rules were made by a few pompous self-appointed authorities with insufficient knowledge, and became set in stone.
The Ohio and Mississippi rivers were known and partially explored for a long time before it was known or even suspected that they joined into the same outflow.
Also note, that the Columbia River is the 3rd longest river in the lower 48, although that includes some parts of southern Canada. It is, however, the largest river in the lower 48 that flows into an ocean.
But some of those "pompous self-appointed authorities" were correct.
Also note, that the Columbia River is the 3rd longest river in the lower 48, although that includes some parts of southern Canada. It is, however, the largest river in the lower 48 that flows into an ocean.
. . . that flows into what pompous self-proclaimed authorities call an ocean.
Do "longest" and "largest" rivers mean the same thing?
. . . that flows into what pompous self-proclaimed authorities call an ocean.
Do "longest" and "largest" rivers mean the same thing?
No, longest refers to length, largest refers to volume/discharge. So the Nile is the longest river in the world (however there are claims the amazon is longer), but the Amazon is clearly the largest with by far the highest discharge rate. Also as far as the Mississippi having a higher discharge rate than the Ohio, I’m pretty sure it’s referring to the mouth of the Mississippi River.
To get the discharge of the upper we can do a rough estimate by subtracting the tributaries.
River discharge (cfs)
Illinois River: 24,000
Missouri River: 86,300
*Upper Mississippi: 237,500
Ohio River: 281,500
White River: 29,500
Arkansas River: 44,500
Mississippi River (mouth?): 593,000
No, longest refers to length, largest refers to volume/discharge. So the Nile is the longest river in the world (however there are claims the amazon is longer), but the Amazon is clearly the largest with by far the highest discharge rate. Also as far as the Mississippi having a higher discharge rate than the Ohio, I’m pretty sure it’s referring to the mouth of the Mississippi River.
To get the discharge of the upper we can do a rough estimate by subtracting the tributaries.
River discharge (cfs)
Illinois River: 24,000
Missouri River: 86,300
*Upper Mississippi: 237,500
Ohio River: 281,500
White River: 29,500
Arkansas River: 44,500
Mississippi River (mouth?): 593,000
So it looks like the Upper Mississippi is not the largest contributor to the outflow into the Gulf, making the pompous geographers quite wrong,
The reason I mentioned longest/largest was the poster who, in the same sentience called the Columbia both longest and largest.
No, longest refers to length, largest refers to volume/discharge. So the Nile is the longest river in the world (however there are claims the amazon is longer), but the Amazon is clearly the largest with by far the highest discharge rate. Also as far as the Mississippi having a higher discharge rate than the Ohio, I’m pretty sure it’s referring to the mouth of the Mississippi River.
To get the discharge of the upper we can do a rough estimate by subtracting the tributaries.
River discharge (cfs)
Illinois River: 24,000
Missouri River: 86,300
*Upper Mississippi: 237,500
Ohio River: 281,500
White River: 29,500
Arkansas River: 44,500
Mississippi River (mouth?): 593,000
That was the point of my question regarding how the Mississippi became the name of the river flowing into the gulf since it has less water flow than the Ohio and it's not even all that close. It's also narrower than the Ohio where they meet.
Clearly, the Mississippi is a tributary of the Ohio. This shouldn't have been rocket science even for people in the 1600s to figure out. It's kind of crazy to think America's largest river, the river flowing into the gulf should have been legitimately called the Ohio, not the Mississippi. Thanks for posting the numbers.
Last edited by marino760; 11-29-2019 at 05:47 AM..
I suspect it is because the Mississippi was available for year round navigation. I see no dams until you get north of St Louis. The Ohio has numerous dams starting close to the mouth - this tells me there were shoals that did not make for year round navigation especially upstream.
That was the point of my question regarding how the Mississippi became the name of the river flowing into the gulf since it has less water flow than the Ohio and it's not even all that close. It's also narrower than the Ohio where they meet.
Clearly, the Mississippi is a tributary of the Ohio. This shouldn't have been rocket science even for people in the 1600s to figure out. It's kind of crazy to think America's largest river, the river flowing into the gulf should have been legitimately called the Ohio, not the Mississippi. Thanks for posting the numbers.
This is what happened they sailed up the river and said hmm one branches to the right and one is straight. The Mississippi goes straight.
That or the Mississippi River was already named because NOLA is much older than anywhere along the Ohio. Then the Ohio was named up by Pittsburgh before they knew they were the same River.
That’s why in Pittsburgh there are 3 rivers not two.
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