
A number ofrivers are known to have reversed the direction of their flow, either permanently or temporarily, in response to geological activity, weather events,climate change, tides, or direct human intervention.
| River | Original outlet | Current outlet | Continent | Date of reversal | Cause of reversal | References |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Amazon River | Pacific Ocean | Atlantic Ocean | South America | Cretaceous period | Formation ofAndes Mountains | [1] |
| Wisconsin River | Great Lakes Basin | Mississippi River | North America | Pleistocene Epoch | Pre-Illinoian glaciers | [2] |
| River | Original outlet | Current outlet | Continent | Date of reversal | Cause of reversal | References |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chicago River | Lake Michigan | Mississippi River | North America | 1900 | Construction ofChicago Sanitary and Ship Canal | [1] |
Alltidal sections of rivers reverse their flow with the tide about twice a day (orsemidiurnally), by definition. The following are notable examples.[3]
| River | Outlet | Continent | References |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hudson River | Upper New York Bay | North America | [3] |
| Saint John River (Reversing Falls) | Bay of Fundy | North America | [4] |
| Salmon River | Bay of Fundy | North America | [5] |
| Channel of Vivari | Straits of Corfu | Europe | [6] |
| River | Outlet | Continent | Cause of reversal | References |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Krupa River | Neretva River | Europe | High water levels of theNeretva River | [7] |
| Petexbatún River | Pasión River | Central America | Winter rain flooding of thePasión River | [8] |
| Qiantang River | Hangzhou Bay | Asia | Tidal bore inHangzhou Bay | [9] |
| Tonlé Sap River | Mekong River | Asia | Monsoon flooding of theMekong River | [10] |
Hurricanestorm surges often cause temporary reversals of coastal rivers.[1]
| River | Outlet | Continent | Date of reversal | Cause of reversal | References |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chicago River[a] | Mississippi River | North America | 2017 and others[b] | Storm surge | [11] |
| Mississippi River | Gulf of Mexico | North America | 1812 | Tectonic uplift caused byNew Madrid earthquakes | [12] |
| 2005 | Storm surge fromHurricane Katrina | [1] | |||
| 2012 | Storm surge fromHurricane Isaac | [1][13] | |||
| 2021 | Storm surge fromHurricane Ida | [14] |