The Legend River
The Buenaventura river is an exemplification of human desires impacting facts. The river, while not formally discovered, has become a widespread legend among traders, politicians, and explorers despite the information not having an evidence base. Moreover, the river has even been illustrated on maps before the data was verified in regard to its validity. The existence of the river would, indeed, become an excellent trading channel. Since no additional bodies of water were connecting the two locations, a trading channel would become a source of economic growth and prosperity. Moreover, this would further establish the American presence in the Pacific Northwest (Meldahl, 2013). Geographically, a river would address the lack of railroads that were built decades later. The example illustrates the geographical importance of trading during the beginning of the 19th century, as specific natural streams would have major roles in the country’s economy. However, another fascinating circumstance is the fact that the river never existed. Thus, human imagination constructed a non-existent geographical element to establish a physical presence of a measure that could benefit the economy at the time. The notion illustrates the importance of geography in multiple areas of life as well as the human desire to alter existing geographical elements with the purpose of gaining a benefit.
The Great Basin
The Gear Basin is referred to as the place where rivers die. The concept correlates with the fact that no water flows outside of the region. The large area containing a major part of Nevada and Utah alongside territories of California, Wyoming, and other states, retains all the water that, instead of flowing into bigger bodies of water, is converted into lakes within the basin. The phenomenon is fascinating as endorheic basins such as the one mentioned earlier, while operating within a particular ecosystem, are isolated systems in which all the elements are interconnected. Thus, geographical concepts such as the stretching of the crust ultimately create specific landscape circumstances in which streams of water cannot escape the area. This, in turn, relates to the collaboration between geographical elements and the interconnection of processes that are linked by impacting one another. Moreover, despite the rather isolationist phenomenon of endorheic basins, they are also linked to the ecosystems around the area. Hence, both isolation and integration in the bigger geographical picture can be exemplified.
The Great Basin Formation
The Great Basin formation is explained in detail in regard to geographical processes. However, it is fascinating to reflect on the future that is to be expected in relation to the area. Specifically, the Great Basin is a product of crust stretching (Meldahl, 2013). This, in turn, created multiple basins with one main sagging in the center of the formation where the water drains. However, considering the process will continue to create stretching of the crust, future implications are to be illustrated. Based on current circumstances, it is possible that the continuous changes will lead to the formation of a spreading ridge with the ocean. Thus, the continuous motion would facilitate circumstances in which, as the plate thins, mountains become higher and the valleys drop, which could ultimately generate a ridge. The Great Basin will no longer hold the title of a place where rivers die. Instead, they would potentially flow into the ocean instead of remaining within the basin and creating local lakes within the area.
Reference
Meldahl, K. H. (2013). Rough-Hewn Land: A Geologic Journey from California to the Rocky Mountains. University of California Press.