How do mountain ranges affect the paths of rivers and deserts?
Quick Answer
Ranges can block drainage, redirect rivers, and create basins where water has no outlet. Those closed basins often become desert lakes, salt flats, or dry playas.
The Full Story
Mountain belts strongly control the flow of water across continents. By raising barriers, they can split drainage systems, trap water in interior basins, and create closed depressions that do not reach the sea. In dry climates, these basins often become salt lakes or playas as evaporation removes the water. Mountain uplift also changes where sediment accumulates, influencing river patterns and desert formation. The Basin and Range region of the western United States is a well-known example of mountains and basins shaping arid landscapes.
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